


One Good Reason

by kcat1971



Series: Transitions [11]
Category: The West Wing
Genre: Canon Jewish Character, Christian Holidays, Domestic Fluff, F/M, Family, Fluff, Holidays, Interfaith, International Fanworks Day 2018, Jewish Holidays, Parenthood, Pregnancy, Religious Imagery & Symbolism, Sam and Ainsley's Wedding, Teasing, Vacation, Wedding Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-15
Updated: 2018-07-19
Packaged: 2019-03-19 03:16:53
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 57
Words: 137,121
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13695738
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kcat1971/pseuds/kcat1971
Summary: Josh and Donna face the biggest transition of all.  Parenthood.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Good news! This one is now fully written. Any yes, I'm planning on beginning work on part 12.

As soon as the motorcade stops, I open the door and sprint to the nearest bathroom. I make it into the stall just in time to lose my lunch. Well, that's really just an expression. After I lost my breakfast on the plane, I decided to have ginger ale and saltines for lunch. I was feeling better until the limo ride over here, but about five minutes out I started feeling like I was going to vomit again. I guess it's going to be one of those days. The whole trip has been like this. In between the vomiting, I feel like I can conquer the world.

I wash my face and study myself in the bathroom mirror. I don't look great. My hair is a little dull and my face is a little pale. Throwing up every morning for the last 3 weeks has not been kind to me. And traveling with the First Lady for the last four days hasn't helped any. But Helen did a great job speaking to the NEA and traveling from school to school as part of the President's Education Reform Agenda was exhilarating, as well as exhausting. But I wouldn't have missed her first trip for anything.

Still, I am really glad to be home! Well, not home exactly, since we came straight to the White House, but I'm glad to be here. Josh is here. I'm exhausted and still not feeling a hundred percent, but I know that seeing Josh, even just sitting there behind his desk, will make me feel better.

I give myself a fake smile in the mirror. Just for practice. It doesn't look very convincing. I don't know if it will fool him. Josh didn't really wanted me to make this trip given last week's vomiting, but I convinced him that I was feeling better. Plus we didn't really have a choice. This is my job. I look in the mirror one last time. Ugh. Glowing, my ass.

Josh must be wrapping up a meeting with senior staff because when I get to his office, Margaret just waves me in. I stride into the room with a smile pasted on my face. Then I take one look at him and my smile becomes real.

It must have been an informal meeting. Josh is at his desk but everyone else is spread out around the room, occupying the chairs and couches. I give them each a smile, even though what I really want to do is just curl up on Josh's lap. Lou greets me from the couch across the room.

"Hey Donna! You feeling any better? Annabeth said that you were sick every day on the trip."

Shit. When I called each evening, I'd specifically avoided telling Josh that I was still vomiting. He asked how I was feeling and I'd said fine. I pivot on my heel and reach for the door. I don't really want to have this discussion in front of anyone else.

"DONNATELLA MOSS LYMAN!"

I freeze, as does the rest of the room. My husband really does have a set of lungs, and his no-nonsense voice is not to be trifled with.

"Can I have the room, please." He says firmly and I hear everyone stand up behind me. I take a chance and step toward the door. His loud sigh is immediately followed with "You stay, Donna." That voice again. He knows what that voice does to me!

I stay frozen while everyone files past me out of the room. Lou pats my shoulder on her way out the door and says, "Sorry, I didn't know that wasn't common knowledge."

"It's okay." I whisper to her.

I'm still facing the door when Josh growls-

"You lied to me. Give me one good reason I shouldn't turn you over my knee and give you a good spanking right now."

I perk up a bit at his empty threat. So we're going to play this game? It's one of my favorites. I turn around to face him. Let the banter begin.

"Oh I can think of more than one, Josh."

"Donna. . . " he warns.

"One-" I take a small step toward him. "You would never intentionally hurt me."

I smirk at him. I've got him there and he knows it. For all our banter about this topic, he's never so much as given me a love tap. So there's really no reason I shouldn't tease him a little.

"Two-" I take a full step forward. "We both know that when I'm turned over your knee like that your hand always does something more _enjoyable_ to me than a spanking."

We've tested the theory a couple times and he knows I'm right. That Catholic School Girl Skirt he bought on our honeymoon has been a lot of fun.

"Donnnnna . . ." he groans.

This is his own fault. He started this. He's the one that issued the empty threat. Still, I do feel a little sorry for him. It has been 3 nights apart. And now he's going to have to think about this conversation all. day. long. I might have to get out the skirt tonight.

"Three-" I walk up to the side of his desk, "we're right next to the oval office."

Good thing too. If we weren't, I think I probably would end up over his knee at this point. Not that I'd mind. But it could be embarrassing.

I stop when I'm standing right before him.

"Four- It might hurt the **baby**."

I can't stop the smile on my face from getting even bigger as I say the word. My hand drifts protectively to my stomach as my eyes meet his. His face absolutely lights up. I didn't really have any doubt that he'd be thrilled. I wouldn't normally do this during business hours, but I can't resist sitting down on his lap so that we can cuddle.

"I didn't lie to you. I'm not sick. We're having a _baby_. I didn't want you to worry while I was gone, and I didn't want to tell you on the phone. I wanted to see your face when I told you- you're going to be a Dad!"

Josh throws his arms around me and holds me tight.

"A _baby_." He whispers. He can't stop smiling. I look at him quizzically

"You know, you're not nearly as shocked as I expected." I knew he'd be happy but I expected him to be a little surprised. "Why is that? We've been running non-stop the last 30 days. I didn't even realize I was late until I started packing for this trip."

"Donna, I notice everything about you. You should have started your period February 28th. You've been feeling sick for several weeks, and your breasts are bigger. By the way, that part I don't mind so much. We probably conceived on our anniversary. I knew those flowers were a good idea!"

"Jo _sh_! Our anniversary is in November." But he's right. Our 3 month anniversary was February 14. That probably  is when I conceived.

He grins at me. "A Valentine's Baby. How cliché!"

I give him a glare.

"Donna, you can't be mad at me. I'm the father of your baby." He puts his hand gently on my stomach. "We're having a baby!" He says again, gently kissing my forehead.

"I love you so much. I love you **both** so much."

I lay my head on his shoulder and sigh. He strokes my hair and holds me tight. Then asks-

"So what have you had to eat today?" Inside I groan. I don't want to tell him about the ginger ale and saltines. But I don't really have an appetite. Knowing that you're just going to puke up whatever you eat really makes you want to just skip eating all together.

"Are you going to be over-protective, here Josh?"

I had expected to have more time before over-protective Josh showed up. I thought he would need some time to adjust to the idea of a baby before he got all neurotic. I'm sure I can kiss my days of raw cookie dough goodbye.

He gives me a gentle hug.

"Of course not. But the book says . . . . "

"What book?" I interrupt.

"I started to read 'What to expect when you're expecting' while you were gone."

I burst out in laughter. "You've got to be kidding me!" But even as I say it, I'm not really surprised. He's much more intuitive than he gets credit for. Of course he suspected. And of course he bought a book!

"It's very informative."

I'm sure it is. And I'm sure I'm going to hear _all_ about it.


	2. Chapter 2

"Hey Kathy." I greet Donna's agent with a smile as I enter the suite. "I guess that means she's still here. Everyone else gone?"

"Yes, sir. Karen came out around 5:15 and left. She said that Donna was going to lay down on the couch for a bit."

Well that explains why she didn't come to my office like she usually does. I bet she's asleep in there. I open the door quietly. Sure enough, she's stretched out on her couch sound asleep.

I move quietly to a chair and take a few minutes just to watch her. She's gorgeous, but I'm a little concerned by the dark smudges under her eyes. I bet she didn't get enough sleep on this trip. I glance down her body. I can't quite tell but it looks like her pants are a little loose. If she's been vomiting this whole time, I'll bet she's losing weight. The book said that it's not unheard of in the first trimester, but the sooner we can get to the doctor, the better I'll feel. My whole world is laying on that couch right now and I'm going to do everything in my power to take care of it. Even if it means being a little bossy.

I'm beyond thrilled that were expecting. It has occurred to me that perhaps we should have waited a bit, maybe at least gotten past the first 100 days, but the truth is I'm not getting any younger. I'll be 45 by the time this baby arrives. Not ancient. But still. I want to enjoy our children, and I want to have at least a hope of seeing grandchildren. Speaking of which, my Mother is going to be over the moon. I wonder how long we have to wait to tell her.

I glance at my watch. It's 6:45. Hopefully she got at least an hour's nap. I think it's time to wake her up, take her home and get some food into her.

I kneel beside the couch. My knees protest a little but I ignore them. Like I said. Not ancient. But still.

I run a hand lightly over her forehead, then give her a gentle kiss. "Baby," I whisper, softly smiling to myself at the term of endearment. I didn't expect to use that one, but more often than not, it's the one that slips out, and she has never complained about it. "Baby, it's time to wake up."

Her eyes flutter open and she smiles at me. My soul literally leaps within me. I can't explain how after 9 years of knowing her and four and a half months of marriage, she still effects me like this. When she smiles at me, I know I can do anything. But right now all I need to do is take her home and take care of her.

"Hey, did you have a nice nap?"

"Um, yeah. How long have I been asleep?" She looks at her watch for the answer. "Wow. Almost 90 minutes. Sorry I didn't come down to your office when I was through here."

"I'm glad you were sleeping." And I'm really glad Kathy was standing guard. The Ultimate Gomer is locked away, but I still feel better knowing that Donna has protection.

On the way home, Donna snuggles into my side. She still looks tired. The book said that fatigue is common, but I wonder if this is normal. Maybe that trip was a really bad idea. I do want to hear all about it though. I expected her to be chattering non-stop about it. Maybe during dinner.

When we walk through the door, the smell of dinner hits us. I smile at Donna. I'm sure she's going to be really happy that I made something. She's probably sick of restaurant food.

I found an easy recipe for Chicken and Dumplings in the Crock-pot. I can't wait to see her face. I look over at her. Her eyes are wide and her hand is over her mouth. She sprints to the bathroom.

"I don't know why they call this morning sickness." I mutter as I rub her back with one hand and hold her hair back with the other. She doesn't respond as she heaves into the toilet, again. I can't help but notice not much is coming out. What was the last thing she ate?

When she's finally done, she sits up and smiles at me.

"Wow. That came on kind of sudden. But I feel much better now." She stands up and uses her hand to cup some water from the bathroom sink then rinses her mouth out. "What are you making for dinner?"

"Donna. Have you been like this the whole time you were gone?"

This is way worse than before she left. She had only thrown up a few times in the morning before then.

She nods sheepishly.

"That's it. You're seeing the doctor first thing in the morning."

"Josh. It'll probably take a couple weeks to get an appointment. I'm only about 6 weeks along, all they would do is confirm the pregnancy. Using the same type of test I already took!"

"You can see the White House doctor in the morning. I want him to make sure that all of this" I wave my hand vaguely around her body. "is normal. I'll call your OB and get an appointment as quickly as possible. I bet I can get you in within 24 hours." I smirk at her. I can be very persuasive.

Donna laughs at me. "Oh no, mister. You aren't calling my OB's office. I like my doctor. I don't want her to drop me as a patient. If you call, my file is going to end up with the "neurotic husband" flag."

"Do they really have those?"

"I wouldn't be surprised!" She grins at me. It's nice to see her with a little spirit. Just like in my office earlier, the bantering seems to give her a little energy.

"Alright. You can make the call. . . On one condition."

"What's that?"

"You try to eat some of this fabulous dinner that I cooked as a special welcome home."

"Okay."

"Okay." She follows me into the kitchen.

"I see you finally got over your fear of the crock-pot."

"Shhhhh... it'll hear you." I don't know why but that thing does not like me. It always works for Donna but half the time it doesn't start when I program it. I really should just buy a new one.

"So what's this called?" She asks once we are seated at the table. I'll admit the glob doesn't really look that appetizing. The picture on the internet looked much better.

"Um, chicken and dumplings?"

"And this would be a dumpling?" She pokes the lump of biscuit with her fork. It's rock hard on top, but not brown at all. I'm not sure it's edible. The stuff underneath it looks okay though. The chicken is cooked thoroughly and the veggies and gravy seem fine.

"Would you rather have some cereal?"

She laughs and takes a bite. "This is actually pretty good. Thanks, babe."

I take a bite myself. It's alright. It won't kill us, but I don't think I'll try this again.

"So" I ask once she's taken a few more bites, "how was the trip?"

"It was great! Helen was fabulous. I know she was nervous about speaking to the National Education Association, but she really did a great job. I think sending her out there with the "Mom" perspective really helped. She really sold the parent-teacher partnership angle. I think it bought the administration a lot of good will."

"That's great but I meant, how was it for you traveling so much? Did you get enough sleep? I'm worried that you didn't eat enough. When did you find out you're pregnant? Does anyone else know?"

"I didn't tell anyone else! I wanted to tell you first." She looks a little hurt that I would ask.

"I didn't mean . . . I just thought someone might have guessed, you know since you were throwing up so much."

"Oh. Okay. Well, yes, I guess it's possible that Helen suspects. She quizzed me on my symptoms on the second day, but then just smirked every time I threw up after that. She also stopped suggesting that we get drunk in the hotel room each night after that." Well thank god for small favors.

"When can we start telling people?" I want to shout it from the roof-tops. I did my job as a man and got a very nice girl pregnant!

"Why? You planning on taking out an ad in Roll Call?"

"Well, the thought did cross my mind. I was thinking "Josh Lyman procreates; Sign of End Times."

She laughs and smacks my arm lightly. "You'd better tell your Mother first!"

"Can I? Passover is next week. She's already planning to come cook Seder for us. Is it too soon to tell her then?"

Donna gives me a gentle kiss. "We can tell your Mother first. I'd love for us to do it in person. A lot of people choose not to tell anyone until after 12 weeks, but it's not a hard and fast rule. It's just less likely for something to go wrong after then."

I feel my heart start to pound. I can't imagine. I already love this baby. What if something goes wrong? What if this pregnancy is too hard on Donna? What if she throws up the whole time? What if she gets diabetes? What if her blood pressure gets out of control?

"Hey . . . . earth to Josh!" Donna's squeezing my hand. Once I made eye contact with her she smiles gently at me.

"Hey. We're going to be fine. I promise. I'll take care of myself and the little bean. Even better, I'll let you take care of me and the little bean. Okay? Don't let yourself go down the scary road."

"Okay." I lean over and give her a kiss. Sometimes it's freaky how she can read my mind and sometimes it's really reassuring.

"So we'll tell my Mom this weekend and your family next weekend?"

"Ugh. Can't we wait the 12 weeks to tell my family?"

"Do you want to cancel the trip? We knew these three weeks would be a whirlwind with the First Lady's trip, My Mom coming for Passover, then going to your parents for Easter."

"I don't know. The thought of traveling again isn't very appealing but I really want to see Baby Kate."

"Plus won't your Mom's feelings be hurt if we tell my Mom but don't tell her? If we are already going to be there it seems like a good time to share the news."

"I guess you're right. Finn and Julie will be excite for Kate to have a cousin so close in age."

I still can't believe they named the baby Kate. Kate Moss. Good grief. We are going to be a lot more careful about baby names.


	3. Chapter 3

I feel very self-conscious throwing up in the bathroom. I'm trying to be as quiet as possible so that Mom doesn't hear me. She's not as neurotic as Josh but she's already worried about me and I don't want to freak her out any more than necessary.

I figured Josh would spill the secret the minute we picked his Mom up for the airport yesterday but he's mostly kept a lid on it- other than calling her Ima when he hugged her. He only uses the Hebrew word for Mother occasionally, and usually when he has something important to tell her. So when it slipped out she'd raised her eyebrows in surprise but just hugged him back.

Then she took one look at me and started fussing at him.

"Joshua! Are you taking good care of our Donna? She looks tired. Has she been eating enough? She's too skinny."

But she'd wrapped me up in a comforting hug, and said "my beautiful girl, Ima's here now, I'll take care of you." Which of course had tears streaming down my face in the middle of the airport.

We were planning on eating out, but she'd said- "stop at the Deli. I want this one in bed with some soup." I'd let her fuss over me the rest of the night and I'll freely admit it gave me a warm fuzzy feeling.

Anyway, I don't know how we are going to keep this a secret until tomorrow night. The smell from the coffee brewing already set me off on round one. And pretty much any car ride is going to set off another round. So unless we let her think I have the flu, Mom's probably going to have an idea by the end of the day. But, Josh wants to make it special when we tell her, so I'll try to put on a good front. I wash my face and brush my teeth. It's a good thing the mint doesn't bother me.

When I get out to the kitchen I find Mom and Josh enjoying their coffee and reading the Sunday paper together. They are so much alike I can't help but smile.

"Good morning!" I greet them.

They peer over the newspaper and each give me a once over with identical expressions, love mixed with worry. It makes me giggle.

"What?" They both say at the same time which just intensifies my mirth.

"Nothing," I manage to get out past the laughter. "I just love you both very much." In response they give me identical bemused smiles.

"Do you want some coffee, dear?" Mom asks.

"No!" Josh shouts. I give him a glare. Way to play it cool there, honey. Nothing suspicious about that. Not to mention how unfair it is that he has a cup of coffee and I don't. I'm letting him keep his coffee even though I'm cutting back to one cup per day, but I already warned him that since I have to give up alcohol, so does he.

"No thanks, Mom. I've been trying to drink more water." She just raises one eyebrow at me and says nothing.

Josh gets up and pours me a glass as I look around the kitchen for something to eat so I can take the prenatal vitamins.

Josh had been smug when the OB had a cancellation and was actually able to see me the same day I called. I don't know if he pulled strings or not. She's not too worried about the morning sickness yet. Sometimes when it comes on early it goes away faster. She just wants me to try to keep eating and to drink as much water as I can to stay hydrated. She gave us a list of symptoms to watch for on dehydration and I think Josh already has them memorized.

I pick up a cinnamon muffin and sigh. At least it will taste good going down.

"I'm taking my Mom grocery shopping." Josh announces. Mom looks up in surprise, while I look at him gratefully. With her out of the house, I won't have to hide the puking. Plus just the thought of looking at all that food has me a little queasy. Josh gives his Mom a wink, and then she smiles. She must think he plans to surprise me with something.

I finish the muffin slowly, take the vitamins and drink a full glass of water while they are getting ready. Once I'm done I head back to the bedroom. I'll just lay on the bed for a while and wait. I was pleasantly surprised when the Matzo Ball soup stayed down last night. It might have helped that I didn't have to smell it cooking and I didn't have to move around a lot after I ate it.

Josh comes in and puts another glass of water on the nightstand. He kisses my forehead.

"Are you okay with this? I know the car makes you sick right now."

"Yes. . . . I mean I'd like to spend more time with Mom, but I know she needs to get the groceries. Don't be gone too long though, okay?"

"We won't. Susan will be right outside the door. Here's your panic button." He puts it on the nightstand. "I'm only taking the town car. Mark and Susan will be staying here with the SUV."

He looks nervous. This is the first he's left me alone at home. I can tell he's rethinking it.

"I'll be fine. He's locked up. Nothing to worry about." He doesn't look convinced.

"Or I can go with you if you want." I start to sit up, and that's all it takes for my stomach to rebel. I shove him out of the way and run to the bathroom.

"Dammit." He mutters as he rubs my back while the muffin and vitamins make a comeback.

"Well," I say smiling. "I really could go now. Nothing left to puke anyway."

He frowns. I head back into the bedroom. And sit down in the chair in the corner.

"Or, I could stay here. Drink the glass of water and lay quietly in bed. And you and your Mom can bring me back some Matzo Ball Soup."

He looks torn. I imagine this is a tough one for him. He doesn't want to leave me here but He doesn't want to take me out and have me throw up again.

"Or, I could leave Mom here with you." He smiles, pleased with himself for solving the problem. "She can give me a list. I'll go shopping on my own."

Wow. He must really love me. I smile at him and he leaves the room to go get his Mother.

A few minutes later Mom comes scurrying into the room. She tuts over me. Smoothing the hair off my face and kissing my forehead.

"No fever, but you are very pale. Definitely over-tired. Back into bed with you." She flips the covers open and I climb back into bed. Part of me wants to argue just out of habit, but I realize that I am tired. I really could take a little nap.

I climb in and Mom hands me the glass. "Take a few sips." She instructs. I obey then snuggle into under the covers.

Mom kisses my forehead, then Josh softly kisses my lips.

When I open my eyes again, I hear Mom and Josh quietly talking at the table. I have no idea how long I slept, but I'm kind of thirsty. I take several slow sips of the water and wait a few minutes.

Little bits of their conversation floats through the room. Ah. I think Josh is practicing the Hebrew. That's really sweet.

After a few minutes, I decide to get up. Mom is only here for a few days. I don't want to complete sleep through them. I get up and make my way out to the kitchen.

"Hey." Josh greets me with a smile. "How're you?"

"I'm doing okay. Did you guys eat lunch?" It's kind of a rhetorical question. They both have plates next to them. I bet they shared a sandwich from the Deli. I'm kind of glad I didn't have to watch them eat.

"Yeah. We didn't want to wake you. But I got you some soup. Do you want some?"

I wrinkle my nose a little and go sit on the couch. Josh and Mom exchange a look. She picks up the plates and takes them to the sink while Josh comes and joins me on the couch.

"We'd both feel better if you tried to eat a little, and drink some water."

"Okay." I feel kind of bad I don't want anyone to worry but I really don't want to eat. I'm pretty sick of throwing up.

Josh settles me in on the couch, tucking my blanket around me and fussing over me. Mom brings me a glass of water and a mug of soup. It's really just the broth. It actually smells good. Not that many things do right now. I sip it slowly, waiting for my stomach to roll over, but it stays fairly calm.

"So tell me all about your trip!" Mom says. I do have some funny stories. I just need to leave out how closely I examined the bathrooms at each of the schools we visited.

"Well, we visited 15 schools in 10 states in 4 days! It's amazing how similar, yet different they are. And some of them just break your heart. These eager, bright children, sitting in run-down classrooms, with no supplies." I feel tears gathering in my eyes and my breath hitches. I meant to tell something funny. I don't know what just happened. I look at Josh.

"We've got to do _something_ , you know!" I tell him. He takes my hand and smiles gently at me.

"We will."


	4. Chapter 4

I open my eyes at 5:02. I roll over and watch Donna sleep for a few minutes. I can't help but reach over and smooth her hair off her face, then run a thumb across her cheek. So precious. All mine. I'm overwhelmed by the force of what I feel for her.

I want to wake her up slowly, without words and show her the depth of my feelings, but I don't want to take one minute of her rest away. My hand slides down her arm to her flat belly. Her hip feels a little more sharp than it has. I'm sure she has lost weight. I had no idea how hard it could be on the female body to reproduce. Maybe we'll be one and done.

I draw large circles around her stomach. I have an incredible urge to talk to the baby, even though I know it can't hear me. It's about the size of a lentil. How appropriate that Donna calls it the little bean.

As my hand makes another circle, I give into the urge and lean down.

"Hey little bean, it's Dad. How're ya doing in there?" I pause for a second, feeling a little silly. Then I say "I need you to take it easy on Mom okay?" I plant a light kiss on Donna's abdomen.

"mmmmm," she sighs, "a little lower, please."

I feel my eyebrows shoot up. When I look up at her she's smirking at me, and seems fairly awake. God, she's beautiful.

"And you don't have to stop with the hand thing either."

"Your wish is my command." I tell her softly. The treadmill can wait until later.

At 5:59, she's laying content in my arms. I think that was the slowest I've ever made love to her. I'm a little shocked at that, given that its been five days, but I just wanted to savor every moment and be extra careful of her. There really was no need to rush.

At 6:00, I hear the coffee maker click on. I really should get up and take a shower, but laying here tracing Donna's face with my fingertips is absolutely a higher priority.

At 6:03, the smell of coffee fills the room. Donna bolts upright and scrambles for the bathroom.

When she's done heaving she smiles at me. She's radiant. How does she do that? She stands up slowly and moves to the sink to brush her teeth. I'm not sure what to do. The Plan had been that we go into work, and Mom would prepare the Seder meal. But maybe we should both stay home today? How is she going to function like this? She mostly slept all weekend.

"Jooosh." Donna coos at me and I look up to meet her eyes. "You've got that worried look on your face again." She smiles gently at me. "My mother did this 4 times. I'm going to be fine. I already feel better. Come on let's take a shower and get ready to go."

When the town car drops us off, Donna walks quickly through the doors, makes an immediate left and ducks into the woman's bathroom. I start to follow her in when Jackie clears her throat.

"That's the Ladies Room, Mr. Lyman." I know and I don't care. Jackie smiles at me and takes her post just outside the door. Phil and I stand there awkwardly.

A few minutes later Donna comes out. That was pretty efficient. Then it occurs to me- she hasn't had anything to eat or drink today. We've got to figure this out.

When we get to my office, I pull out a bottle of water, her vitamins and a muffin for her. She looks at all three with despair. Finally she opens the bottle and takes a very small sip.

"OH! Ooooooh." Margaret says looking between us and smiling. She pats Donna's hand.

"Okay, first of all. Don't take those" she points to the vitamins, "in the morning anymore. Take them right before bed. With some chamomile tea and a couple crackers. Second of all, keep sipping the water, I mean all the time, just little amounts. And don't try to eat that whole muffin. Just a couple bites at a time. And if you can try to stay put for a while once you do."

We both look at Margaret stunned. "What?" She says. "Here look this over." She hands me the day's schedule. "I'm going to run and get some peppermint tea for Donna."

Once she's gone Donna starts giggling. "Margaret really does know everything."

"I guess, but I kind of wanted to tell Mom first."

Donna pats my hand. "Well, we didn't really tell Margaret. And I think your Mom probably suspects too. She's just giving us a chance to tell her ourselves." She leans over and gives me a kiss.

"We won't confirm Margaret's suspicion until tomorrow. We'll tell your Mom tonight. It'll be fine." She takes another small sip of water.

"Hey- why don't you move over to the couch. Maybe if you eat the muffin there and don't have to move until Senior staff is done, it will stay down better."

I smile at her when she takes my advice. I should have had Margaret get some bubble wrap when she went for the tea.

I'm really happy when Donna makes it all the way through my staff meeting, but I watch her as she carefully gets up to head to the oval. She only ate about a quarter of the muffin, but the water looks about half gone. I'll take whatever I can get.

After Senior Staff in the oval, Donna heads back into my office instead of out the door with everyone else. The President watches her go, then looks at me curiously.

"Um, can I have just a minute, sir?"

"Of course, Josh!" He says standing up and moving back to his desk.

Donna looks surprised when I pop through the door.

"I just wanted to check on you. You doing okay?"

"Yes, Margaret's advice seems to be working. I feel okay right now."

"Okay. Take it easy today okay? I'll bring some soup up to your office around 12:30."

"Okay." I give her another kiss on the cheek.

"I love you."

When I get back to the oval office, the President is smirking at me.

"So Josh, anything you want to share?"

"Not until after I talk to my Mother tonight."

"Fair enough. By the way, you probably want to stock up on ginger ale."

I just grin at him and get down to business. I don't think we're going to keep this a secret from anyone for twelve weeks.

I'm so excited when we get back home and walk through the door. I can't wait to tell my mom our news. The house smells amazing. Like my childhood. This is going to be a special night. I'm so glad my Mom suggested this. I had just started to wonder if Donna could be pregnant when my Mom called. My thought was that even if Donna wasn't pregnant, I wanted to start reviving some of the Jewish hertitage for when we did have kids. It just feels right to celebrate Passover as a family again now that it's not just me and Mom.

Donna hurries past me toward our bedroom. I follow quickly behind. I thought she was feeling better? She said she kept the muffin and the soup down today.

I smile at Mom on our way through the kitchen. "Smells great in here, Mom! We're just going to change." I take my suit coat off and toss it on the bed and then join Donna in the bathroom.

She's sitting on the floor sort of leaning against the tub. I'm glad the cleaning people were here on Friday. I think we're going to go back to every week.

"Hey." I say as I sit down next to her. "How're you doing in here?"

"Just peachy."

"I thought you were feeling better today."

"I was. It was just the car ride. Then the smell!"

Oh. I thought it smelled fantastic. "I'm sorry. I guess I should have canceled the meal."

"Don't _you_ be sorry, Josh. _I'm_ sorry. I feel like I'm ruining this. I want this to be special. I know your Mom worked really hard today."

"Shhhh." I give her a gentle kiss on the lips. "Mom will understand. Why don't you lay on the bed for a little bit."

"Can you set the table with the family china? The cards are in my bag. I'll bring them out once you're done. Just don't let your Mom sit down until I take care of it."

"Okay."

Back in the kitchen, I say, "Donna's going to lay down for a few minutes before dinner." I get a table cloth and the plates and walk into the dining room. My second trip is for wine glasses. This requires a lot of them. Then silverware.

"The _ka'arah_ is ready. " Mom says, handing me the platter to put on the table. "I just have a little more to do in here. You should get ready. See if Donna is okay."

When I get to the bedroom, Donna is pulling the cards out of her briefcase. "They look really nice."

"The Calligraphy Office did them for me."

"Can you help me with this?" I hand her my father's yarmulke. I guess I should start thinking of it as mine. I don't know if I'm quite ready to or not. She smiles at me and pins it on.

"All set."

"Are you feeling up for this? If you are not its okay. You don't have to do this."

"Josh, I'm feeling much better. I really want to be part of this. I think this will be really special for your Mom. You haven't done this since your Dad died, have you?"

"No."

"She's going to be really happy that you are embracing your heritage for the next generation. I want to be there."

Mom smiles and hands us each a dish to put on the table. She follows us with a couple more.

"Donna, darling, name cards for just the three of us? We don't need to be quite that formal. But the table does look amazing." Mom gives me an approving look. Then she starts to pull the chair out at the "Ima" spot.

"That's my place." Donna says softly, taking my Mother's arm. "Your place is here." She walks my Mother to the other side of the table where a card reads "Savta."

"Grandmother." My mom whispers. "Darlings!" She opens her arms and Donna and I both embrace her. "Beshaah Tovah."

"What does that mean?" Donna asks.

"It's a blessing. A wish that all should proceed at the right time. A prayer for a smooth pregnancy and a healthy baby."


	5. Chapter 5

"Well, this pregnancy doesn't seem to be going smoothly so far. She's been really sick. Is she okay?" Josh asks his Mom as we all take our seats.

"Pshhh. Every pregnancy is different. Our Donna is strong. This wee one may challenge her a little, but she'll be fine. We just need to help her keep a little food down, and rest as much as she needs."

Mom smiles at me. I'm so glad she's being positive with Josh. He's prone to imagining the worst. All this vomiting and fatigue isn't pleasant, but otherwise I feel fine. This may not be as easy as I thought, but I can do it.

Josh still looks unsure, but his Mom knows how to distract him. She starts to tell me what is about to happen.

"Donna, dear, Passover is the anniversary of our nation's miraculous exodus from Egyptian slavery more than 3,000 years ago. The Seder is a feast that includes reading, drinking wine, telling stories, eating special foods, singing, and other traditions. We celebrate after nightfall on the second night of Passover because we live outside of Israel. We follow along in a book called a Haggadah. Yours is in English. There are 15 steps. But you don't have to do all of them, if you start to feel sick, we can stop for a while, or if you just need to be done, Josh and I can finish on our own. This is a celebration. It's meant to be fun."

"I want to try to keep up." I tell her with a smile.

"Well I don't want you to drink four glasses of wine!" Josh says emphatically.

Mom and I both look at him with one eyebrow raised.

"Joshua." She says pointedly and he has the good grace to look sheepish. God, I love his mother so much. Of course I wasn't going to drink four glasses of wine. Even if I could keep it down it would be bad for the baby. It's actually a really bad idea for him to drink four glasses of wine. In fact, maybe I should remind him that starting tomorrow- he's giving up alcohol too. He said he wouldn't drink since I couldn't.

"You could have a little sip of each glass, if you like, dear. But if your stomach isn't feeling very good, its fine if you only have the soup. I made it special just for you. I was starting to hope that maybe all this sickness was a blessing." Mom pats my hand and smiles at us.

"That sounds wonderful."

Josh and Mom pick up a glass of wine, and I follow suit. Josh recites the Kiddush, proclaiming the holiness of the holiday. Josh and Mom each take a long drink, but I only take a little sip.

I really enjoy listening to Josh and Mom read back and forth through the book. They explain each step of the ceremony to me. I really love it when Josh tells me about things I don't know. I just get a warm fuzzy feeling. He really is a good teacher. I can't wait to watch him teaching things to our children.

The food looks very interesting. Next year I'm going to try everything but for now, I'm too worried about getting sick. Mom's soup is fabulous, even better than the deli, so I'll just stick with that.

When they are done with the main part of dinner, Josh explains the Berach. Basically a grace at the end of the meal. Then Josh says, "Now we fill the cup of Elijah."

"Did I ever tell you about when Joshua was five?" Mom begins. Josh groans and I perk up. This sounds promising.

"No. Please do."

"Well, we were celebrating Passover at Noah's parent's. I guess he was actually 4 and a half. Joanie was so happy, because Josh was finally able to handle the youngest child parts. He did all the readings just fine. Until we got to this point in the ceremony."

"What happened?"

"He went to the door, to let Elijah in. When he got back to the table, he said no one was there."

Noah's father replied, "He was here, see Joshua, there is less wine in the glass."

Joshua looked his grandfather in the eye and said "Zayde! You drank that wine! There was no one at the door."

"My Joshua. So smart. And even when he was so little, he couldn't stand the thought of someone trying to fool him."

"What did your grandfather do?" I ask Josh.

"He took me on his lap and explained it was just a ritual, meant to be fun, because we had so much to celebrate. We overcame, we survived, we believe in a better future. And he promised to always explain things to me, that he'd never try to trick me again."

"He loved you very much." Mom says cupping Josh's cheek.

"I loved him too."

"What was his name?"

"Jacob."

"That's a nice name." Josh and I haven't talked about this yet, but I'm already starting a mental list. I think we'll have to put that one on the boy's side. Right next to Noah and Leo.

"What's next?" I don't want to rush them along, but I am getting kind of tired.

"um, singing." Josh says quietly. This makes me smile. I love to listen to Josh sing. He only does it when he's in a really good mood. I can't help but be happy when he sings.

Once he and Mom are done singing, they recite the Hallel over the last cup of wine. I take a very tiny sip. Then they say-

" _Leshanah haba'ah b'Yerushalayim_ —Next year in Jerusalem."

"That was really lovely." It really was. Even though I couldn't fully participate I really enjoyed this. I can imagine Josh doing this with a few children around him. It gives me a very pleasant feeling.

"I have something for you." Mom says.

"I'm not really a child anymore, Mom I don't need a gift for the Afikoman."

"Well, that's good, then, because this isn't for you." Mom says cheekily. She walks into her room and comes back with a blanket, which she hands to me. It's cream colored and very soft.

"Josh's Bubbe knit that. We don't have many keepsakes from when Josh was a baby. But I wanted you to have it."

"That's not for the baby! Is it?" Josh looks horrified. What the hell is wrong with him?

"Of course not darling." Mom placates him, patting his cheek. I'm really confused.

"It's for Donna. She might like a nice blanket while she's feeling under the weather."

"Okay. Good."

I look back and forth between them. I'm clearly missing something, but it doesn't look like either of them is going to tell me.

I feel about five, when Josh is tucking me in for the night at 9:30, but I just can't keep my eyes open any longer.

"I want my new blanket."

I'll send Mom in with it in a minute. I'm sure she wants to give you a good night kiss too.

"What's the deal with the blanket? I know I'm missing something. I don't like to be fooled either, you know."

"Jewish people are a little superstitious about these things. We don't usually bring any baby things into the house until after the baby is born. You know we don't want to tempt the wrath of the thing high atop the place."

"Oh."

"Wait! Josh, are you saying I can't buy ANYTHING for the baby until after the baby is here?"

"No, I'm not saying that. I was just shocked that my Mother would bring a baby gift, especially for a baby she didn't even know about yet."

The thought occurs to me that maybe his Mom has been concerned about being around by the time we had kids. But I don't want to voice that thought out loud. No point in tempting the wrath...

"Okay." I say sleepily. If he's going to send Mom in he'd better hurry up and do it.

Josh leans down and gives me a very long goodnight kiss, and suddenly I don't feel five anymore. If only I weren't so damn tired I'd prove it to him.


	6. Chapter 6

When I get off the treadmill, I walk into the kitchen and drink a large glass of water. I double check the coffee machine and realize the light isn't on. I'm looking it all over trying to figure out what the problem is when Mom walks in the room.

"I unplugged it."

"Why?!" Doesn't she know that I'm highly addicted? I'm not going to be functional with out it.

She gives me the ' _you're smarter than this, Joshua_ ' look. "Because, the smell of it makes your wife throw up, darling."

"Oh!" I _am_ stupid.

"I assume you have coffee at work, or some poor intern you can send out to get you some?"

"Yes, ma'am."

"Good. While you are in the shower, I'll make some tea for Donna. The peppermint might soothe her stomach. Do you want some?"

"No, thank you."

Poor Donna. She must be going through hell. She's pretty much addicted to the coffee too. The OB had said she could have one cup a day, but she can't keep it down. Basically, she's had to cut it out cold turkey. No wonder she's tired all the time. And if even just the smell makes her throw up on top of it, that's like adding insult to injury. It's a good thing I'm not the one that has to carry this baby. We'd be one and done for sure.

When I get out of the shower at 6:00, Donna is still sleeping. I hate to wake her but at least she got a solid 8 hours. Hopefully that will help. And hopefully the fact that there is no coffee smell will help too.

Once I'm dressed I head back into the kitchen. I give my mother a kiss. "Thank you for everything Ima. I'm really glad you were here this weekend."

"I'm glad I could be here too, darling. Here's the tea, and some crackers. Have her try to drink a little and eat a little and then wait 10 minutes and see what happens."

"Okay." I glance at my watch. This is going to throw a kink in the morning routine, but if it keeps Donna from throwing up, it's worth it.

At 6:15 things are looking good so far. Donna's in the shower and she hasn't thrown up yet. Outstanding.

I put some more tea in a to-go cup and put a bagel and cream cheese for me and a lemon muffin for Donna in a bag. Ready to go when she is, and I hope it's soon. I really need a cup of coffee. I might need to start having some delivered.

Once Donna is ready to go we give Mom more goodbye hugs. Donna gets a little teary. But Mom just pats her on the back.

"I'm only a phone call away. I can come back whenever you need me."

I think Mom enjoyed this. I've been independent for so long, she probably hasn't felt needed. But this weekend we really counted on her. Maybe she'd consider moving closer when the baby arrives. I don't know how she'll feel about that, she's pretty independent herself. She'll get a cab to the airport and be gone before we are home tonight. I'm going to miss her.

When we get to the office, Donna still heads right to the bathroom.

"Damn." I mutter. Phil and Jackie exchange an amused look. "Either of you got kids?"

"No, Sir." Jackie quickly responds.

"I have two." Phil answers.

"Is this normal?"

"How far along?"

"9 weeks" Going to the OB had been enlightening. Turns out they count from the date of her last cycle not the day we think we conceived. Who knew?

"With the boy, my wife was sick like clock work every morning for exactly 12 weeks, with the girl there was no rhyme or reason and it lasted the whole pregnancy. She actually threw up in the delivery room."

"Oh my god." I mutter softly. Phil chuckles.

"Mrs. Lyman's a pretty tough cookie. I think she can handle it either way."

A few seconds later Mrs. Lyman comes out of the bathroom smiling and we are on our way.

When we get to the office, Margaret's waiting. "I was starting to get worried." It's 7:15. Definitely not a PR but we aren't exactly late. I rub my eye.

"Margaret, is there an intern that can go to Starbucks?" I see Donna's lip start to stick out.

"I'm sorry, baby, I'm dying here." She gives me a dirty look and I quickly backtrack.

"I'm not complaining. Really. I'm sure this is just a fraction of what you are feeling." I'm not handling this well at all.

"Margaret!" She pops back in. "Forget about the coffee." I'm just going to have to tough this out. I don't want Donna to feel like she has to suffer alone. Margaret shrugs and heads back out the door.

Suddenly, Donna yells- "Margaret!"

"Yeah?"

"Get someone to bring him the damn coffee."

Margaret smiles and turns away again. Donna sighs and gives me a light kiss. "There's really no point in us both being miserable."

We're half way through my staff meeting when the Intern brings my coffee in. I watch Donna carefully sipping her water. She doesn't react. I think the lid is containing the smell. This may just work.

A few minutes later, Donna interrupts me in the middle of a sentence.

"Can I please have a drink of that?"

"Absolutely not."

Everyone looks shocked. I don't think they've ever seen me deny her anything.

"Pretty please?"

"No."

Sam gives me a glare. "Here Donna, you can have the rest of mine."

"NO!" I thunder at him. Donna's lip starts to quiver. Oh my god. How can she possibly want this? She hasn't keep coffee down in weeks. And just yesterday the smell of it made her vomit. Why did we jump through the hoops this morning if she's going to drink it now? She's not answering any of my mental questions. She's just staring at me with that little pout that I can't resist.

"Here." I hand her my cup and she give me a genuinely happy smile. Not the I just beat you at a game smile, one that says she's really happy with life. Well I do live for that smile. So I guess I made the right choice. I'll send an intern back out for her own cup. She takes a long drink and hands it back.

"Okay then. Getting back back to the confirmations, now that Baker and Vinick are done, we just have a few undersecretaries and . . . "

Suddenly Donna stands up and bolts from the room with her hand over her mouth.

"What the hell?" Lou mutters.

I look around the room at my staff. Should I just make an announcement? Bram, Edie and Sam look very confused. But Amy has a sly smile. Ah yes, she has nephews.

We've just finished working through the status of the remaining nominations when Donna comes back into the room, looking kind of sheepish. I'm torn between wanting to give her a "what-were-you-thinking" look and taking her over to the couch to cuddle her until she feels better.

"Everything okay, Donna?" Amy calls out.

"Just peachy." Donna responds brightly. I don't know if she's faking it but I'd rather see her like this than gloomy. She takes her seat and we finish the meeting without further incident.

As everyone else heads into the Oval for Senior Staff, Donna holds back. "I'm going to head up to my office. I don't really have anything new to report."

"Are you okay?" I take her in my arms.

"Yeah, just all of a sudden, I _really_ wanted coffee. But the minute I drank some I knew it was a bad idea."

"Those bodies you women live with are really something else."

"You seem to like it just fine."

"Well, yeah. . . .Listen, I gotta get in there. If I get a direct question about why you left?"

"Yep, it's fine. I'm probably going to make an official announcement at my staff meeting too. After last week, I think they all suspect anyway."

"Okay, love you."

"Love you too." I just keep holding her. I don't really want to let go.

"Josh. . ."

"Yeah?"

"The President of the United States is waiting for you."

"Right. Listen. Try to drink some water, okay? Slowly."

I give her another kiss and let her go. I get to go make the best announcement ever made in the oval office.

As soon as I walk through the door all eyes are on me.

"Nice of you to join us, Josh." The President starts in. He looks like he's going to enjoy this. I'm glad it's a light day. I take my customary seat across from him.

"Let's start with the status of our nominations." I walk him through our list fairly quickly. It's really just an update, at this point it's just all process.

"Anything else recently confirmed?" He quirks an eyebrow at me and smiles to himself at his little pun. Everyone else looks between us, sensing the under current but smart enough not to jump into whatever is going on between their bosses.

I look at my list. We don't have that much more to cover. Will we get through any of it if I make this announcement now? I guess it doesn't really matter. The Staff knows what to do and I can always fill POTUS in later.

"As a matter of fact, Donna's OB confirmed that she's 9 weeks pregnant."

I can't help the grin on my face as I look around the room at my friends. There is a chorus of congratulations.

"It's the greatest thing you'll ever do." The President says.

"God help us." Lou mutters, but she's smiling. I think she really likes Donna.

"How is Donna feeling?" Sam asks.

"Well you got to witness that for yourselves. She's not doing so hot with the morning sickness. It's really been more like all-day sickness."

"They, um, Vitamin C drops. They make Vitamin C drops. My sister swore by them." Amy is smiling at me and offering practical advice? I guess we really have grown up.

"Any chance I'm going to get any more work out of you people in the next hour?" I grumble at them without any heat.

"Are we issuing a Press Release about your baby?" Bram asks. Well I guess that does qualify as "work" even though it's a stupid question.

"No. We are not. First of all, we do not comment on the personal life of staffers. Second, after what we just went through, I'd like to keep Donna out of the press as much as possible. And Third, we haven't told her Mother yet. You've never had the priviledge of meeting Mrs. Moss, but I promise you, you do not want to be the one to spoil this for her."

I look around the room and smile. "We're only telling family right now." Edie gives me a smile. Yes, we are a family here.

We cover the last few things on our agenda, before the President sends everyone out of the room.

"So, Josh, how are _you_ doing?" It's Matt asking me, not POTUS, but I still can't help but be formal in this room.

"I'm fine, sir."

"Has it hit you yet that your life will never be the same?"

"Yes, it's alternately terrifying and exhilarating."

"That sounds about right. Just remember, I'm right next door."


	7. Chapter 7

When I get to my office, I discover a little present on my desk. The label on the container reads

**Preggie Pop Drops- The Natural Way to Ease Morning Sickness!**

There's a little card:

[Try these. Tell me when you're ready. -H]

I knew she suspected. It's nice that she's in a little early today. I'm glad I can tell her before everyone else. Then the thought hits me. I wonder where she got these. Are we going to have a First Family pregnancy rumor to deal with? I really hope not!

I knock lightly on the First Lady's door then enter. Helen beams at me.

"Thank you for the gift. It's been pretty terrible."

"It looked like it last week. You know, if you had told me, I wouldn't have made you go on the trip."

"Thanks, but I really wanted to go. I really like my job. I could live without throwing up several times a day though."

"It's worth it."

"I'll take your word for it."

She laughs. "Peter was a textbook pregnancy. Everything happened right on time. I had just the smallest amount of queasiness in the morning, which I milked for all it's worth with Matt by the way. I had him waiting on me hand and foot. The morning sickness vanished at the end of the first trimester and the second trimester felt like I could conquer the world. Plus the hormones made me . . . . well, let's just say Matt enjoyed the second trimester too. Then the labor and delivery were relatively easy too. And then there was Miranda- "

She laughs. "When they say no two pregnancies are the same they aren't kidding. All day sickness pretty much the whole pregnancy. Although it did get a little better after the first trimester. Weird cravings, which I couldn't keep down anyway."

"Like what?"

"You know those canned raviolis?" She shudders.

"Those are pretty gross." My Mother never let us have those, but I tried them in college.

"Yes. They are, but that's what I wanted. I'd hold off as long as I could but at least once a week I'd give in to the craving, thinking maybe this time they'd stay down. They never did." She laughs.

"I thought I wanted Josh's coffee this morning, even though the smell of it has been making me sick for weeks."

Helen chuckles. "How long did you make it?"

"Not even 2 minutes. It came up almost as fast as it went down."

Helen looks me right in the eyes. "I don't know if it will get any easier, but you will get the hang of it. If you find something you can tolerate or a time of the day that you can eat, just do it. It'll be fine. And if you need to leave early or nap while you are here, it's perfectly okay. We'll make it work. We can change the times of our meetings, you can come up to the residence to nap. Whatever you need. You don't ever have to worry about your job with me."

"Thank you."

I don't want to let her down, but knowing that I have some flexibility feels really good right now.

"So tell, me . . . how's Josh handling this?"

"He's pretty much walking a tightrope between exuberant and terrified."

"Well that's pretty normal too. I think Matt is giving him a pep talk today too."

"We need to call the Bartlets and tell them. Just imagine what President Bartlet's going to say to him!"

"Poor guy." Helen laughs but she doesn't really mean it. She and Josh have a strange relationship. As far is Helen is concerned Josh turned her entire life upside down. On the other hand, he got her husband, whom she believes whole heartedly in, elected President of the United States! And plus her children adore him. So she doesn't want anything truly bad to happen to Josh, but she doesn't mind if he suffers a little.

I glance at my watch. "We should get in there for the staff meeting."

"What's on the agenda?"

"Just a review of the Easter Egg roll stuff. And I guess I'm going to tell the rest of them about the pregnancy. Josh told his staff this morning. I think Annabeth suspects something after our trip."

"Oh, Annabeth doesn't just suspect."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, she's the one who went out and got the Preggie pops for me. But I told her they were a surprise for you."

"Oh thank goodness! I was worried that if they were on a requisition from the First Lady it might start the rumor mill."

"I didn't think of that. Matt wanted to have a few more, but with the way he works, I really felt two was enough. Now I'm even more sure of it!"

"I don't know how many we'd like. Right now one sounds about right. But sometimes I picture Josh with several children around him. I think he's going to make a fantastic Dad. It's just. . . ."

Helen looks at me expectantly. "It's just what, Donna?"

"I have no idea how to be a Mom!"

"Oh Donna!" Helen laughs. "I'm sorry. I know your hormones are reeking havoc with you right now. You know how to be a Mom! You are one of the most nurturing people I know. Just look how you took care of Josh all those years!"

I'm still not so sure, but it's nice that Helen has faith in me.

"We'd better get to that meeting."

"Good morning everyone. Before we start the staff meeting, I have something to tell you." Everyone except Annabeth looks a little wary. The last time I made an announcement like this there was a stalker involved.

"It's good news! . . . . Josh and I are expecting!"

"Congratulations! That's so exciting" Karen squeals.

Angela just smiles at me.

"Just what the world needs a mini-Josh Lyman running around." Ned mutters.

I look at him in shock. I can't believe he'd say that out loud. I'm not sure how to react. I think another Josh Lyman, or 3, is exactly what this world needs!

"Ned! That was completely uncalled for." Helen looks pissed.

"I was just kidding. I'm very happy for you." Ned tries to cover but his congratulations fall flat. I certainly don't believe him and it doesn't look like Helen does either.

"Well, enough about my personal life. Let's get back to business shall we?" I look around the table with a brisk nod. I will not cry. I will not cry.

"Have you all fully reviewed the plans from the office of the social secretary for the Easter Egg roll?" Everyone nods.

"Okay, let's review our individual assignments."

As soon as the staff meeting is over, I realize I need to tell Ainsley. Josh told Sam during Senior Staff and he's not going to be able to keep it a secret very long. I think I'll just pop over to her office.

"Hey Ains, got a minute?"

"Donna, oh thank god! Sam called me earlier and asked if I'd talked to you yet, and when I said no, he said well then he knew something I didn't know but he wouldn't tell me until you talked me and that was 3 hours ago and I've just been beside myself, I mean, Sam can't know things that I don't know. You know?"

I smile at her and wait to see if she's done.

"I'm sorry. I meant to call you earlier but I needed to talk to Helen then I had a staff meeting. Anyway I need to ask you a question."

"Shoot."

"Those bridesmaid dresses? Do they come in maternity sizes?"

Ainsley squeals and jumps up and runs around her desk to hug me. "This is so exciting! Congratulations. So exactly how big will you be?"

"Oh roughly the size of a house."

Ainsley gives me a once over. "Highly unlikely. Seriously how many months will you be?"

"8"

"When is your due date?"

"November 7"

"Seriously? Like basically election day?"

"Ironic, isn't it."

I take a seat on Ainsley's couch and she sits in the chair across from me.

"So who knows so far? Is this like top secret?"

"Well, we told Josh's Mom last night. We were going to try to keep it quiet for a few more weeks but I've thrown up in front of so many people the cat's out of the bag. Josh officially told his staff this morning, and I just told mine."

"Everyone must be so happy for you two!"

"Well not everyone." I feel my eyes prick a little. I feel silly. I don't want to cry about this.

"What do you mean?" Ainsley looks shocked.

"Ned Carlson said," I sniffle, I don't think I can actually say it without crying. "Oh never mind, it doesn't matter."

"Donna, what did he say?" Ainsley's eyes are wide.

"He just made a crack about the world not needing any mini-Josh Lymans." I can't help the big tears that roll down my cheeks. "It's probably just hormones, but that was really mean don't you think?"

"Yes. It was. You know what I think?"

"What?"

"The world could use as many mini-Josh Lymans as you can manage to produce!"

"You know they'll all be democrats? right?" I giggle. I feel a lot better now that I got that out. My hormones really are going a bit crazy.


	8. Chapter 8

I'm having a bit of a day. Every meeting is running long and I'm falling farther behind. I really want to have lunch with Donna but it's just not going to be possible.

"Lunch is here." Margaret pokes her head in. "So is your 11:30."

"Margaret, it's 12:25."

"I know."

"Have the intern take Donna's soup to her. And get her on the phone. Give me 5 minutes."

"Donna's on line one." Margaret says over the intercom.

"Hey baby, how are you feeling today?"

"I'm fine." She always says she's fine. Drives me freaking crazy.

"Have you thrown up?"

"Not since the coffee."

"Have you had anything else to drink?"

The silence is my answer.

"Donna, you have to drink something. Please, try to drink a bottle of water within the next couple hours."

"Aren't you coming here for lunch?"

"I'm sorry, my meetings are all backed up, and I really can't reschedule since we are going out of town this weekend."

"That's fine. I'm not really hungry anyway."

"Don't be ridiculous. An intern is on the way to your office now with Soup from the Deli."

"Okay thanks."

"I love you. I gotta go."

"Love you too."

As soon as I hang up the phone Margaret is coming back through the door. "Who's my 11:30?"

"Representatives Schriebman and Singer"

Ah yes, the blue dogs looking for influence. We do have to play nice since they helped us get Baker, but I'm not sorry to have kept them waiting a bit.

"Okay send them in."

I manage to keep the meeting with the blue dogs to just an hour in spite of their desire to talk about everything under the sun. I'm rather pleased. I have a lot of information from them, and offered no guarantees on their agenda. Just enough incentive to keep them on our side.

"Margaret!"

She opens the door and stares at me.

"Sorry. What's next?"

Margaret brings my lunch in and puts in on my desk. "Well you are caught up for now. You've got until 2 until your next meeting. So you need to eat that. And Sam would like to see you."

"Well then, send him in.'

"Sam, my man! What can I do for you this fine day?" I take a large bite of my corned beef sandwich.

"You're in a good mood."

"I've got the blue dogs on a short leash, my wife is having my baby, and I'm no longer behind schedule. You want half of this?"

"Is it from Wisemiller's?"

"Yeah."

"Wow. You sent an intern all the way up there?" Sam picks up the sandwich and takes a bite.

"Yes. Their Matzo Ball soup is the only thing Donna can keep down these days. . . .So what brings you to my office?"

"Donna, actually."

I finish chewing and swallow hard. "What about Donna?"

"Well Ainsley and I just finished lunch." I look between him and the half of my sandwich I gave him and raise my eyebrows.

"Hey, it's Wisemiller's I'm not gonna turn that down." He grins a little. "Anyway, Donna was talking to Ainsley earlier, and mentioned that Ned Carlson had said something mean to her, and she was crying. I thought you'd want to know."

I stand up, fully intending to storm the castle gates. Then I sit back down.

I pick my sandwich up and take another bite, chewing slowly.

"Sam. I'm going to need your help."

I would have liked to just charge up there and knock some sense into the guy, but Donna might not really appreciate that. After all he is on her staff. So, I'm going to have to do it when she's not around. Which means I need to get one of them out of the office. Ned avoids me like the plague. If I summon him to my office, he'll come but he'll probably whine to Donna before hand. I can't have that. Once I put the fear of Josh Lyman into him, I'm not worried about him whining after.

At 5:10, I'm striding toward Sam's office with a determined pace. With a bit of luck, this timing's going to work out just right. Sam set up a meeting with Ned for 5:15. He should be done with Donna's daily wrap up meeting by then. Hopefully he'll bring his coat and plan to leave for the day. But even if he goes back to his office, Donna won't be there because we have a meeting with Ron at 5:30 to go over the final details for the travel this weekend.

I slip in the side door of Sam's office. I'm glad to see that Ned's not there yet. I'd like to see his face when he walks through the door. Sam is studying me as I lean against the bookshelf with my arms crossed.

"I don't have to tell you not to hit him, right?"

"Of course not, Sam. Ned and I are just going to have a friendly chat. You're welcome to stay if you like."

"I think that's probably a good idea."

"Suit yourself."

A few minutes later, Sam's intercom buzzes and Ginger says "Ned Carlson to see you."

"Send him in." Sam grins at me.

As Ned walks through the door and sees me, his smile immediately becomes a look of concern. As well it should.

"Sam. Josh, I uh, didn't know you'd be here. What's" he swallows hard "what's this about?"

"Have a seat." I use the voice Donna likes to call my no-nonsense voice. Ned sits down and looks around nervously. I stare at him for a few minutes.

"Um, listen, if this is about. . ."

"Shut up."  I cut him off harshly.  "Listen, I don't care if you don't like me. That's perfectly fine. I'm no fan of yours either." I take two steps toward him and he goes a little pale. "But if you EVER say ANYTHING that makes my wife cry again, I WILL destroy you. Are we clear?"

"Ye . . . yes, sir." He stammers.

"Good." I growl and then march out of Sam's office, letting the door slam behind me.

Once I'm out of the bullpen, I start to whistle. I'm actually in a good mood now that I've put Ned in his place. It's 5:20. I wonder whether Donna is in her office or mine or Ron's. I consider having Phil check with Jackie, but that's not really what they are here for. So I head in the general direction of Ron's office while I give her a call.

"Hey babe."

"Hey, where are you?

"I'm in your office. Where are you?"

"I'm just coming from Sam's. I'll swing by and get you and we can walk down to Ron's together."

Donna meets me in the hall and I take her hand swinging it between us as we walk.

"You're in a good mood!"

"I am. My closest friends know that my wife is having my baby!"

Donna smiles at me. "There are a few people we haven't told that I think fall into that category."

"Your family?"

"No, I was actually thinking the Bartlets and Toby and Andy. We should probably call them soon."

When we get to Ron's office, Phil and Jackie join us instead of taking their usual spots outside the door. Ron greets us with his normal smile.

"So Josh, Donna, what's new?" He says it without guile although I'd be shocked if he hasn't already heard the news. I mean, Donna's agents have been watching her throw up for almost 2 months now.

Donna smiles at him. She really is glowing. "Well, let's just say Valentine's day turned out to be eventful after all! We're going to have a baby!"

"Congratulations, both of you. I'm really very happy for you."

"So Ron, when does the baby get its own code name?" I grin at him.

"We usually wait until they arrive, Josh."

"Well, just so you know, we call it the little Bean. That starts with a "B!"

"I'll keep that in mind."

"Now, let's talk about your trip this weekend. Let me get Scott on a conference call so he can report in about the advance work. And we can finalize details."

Once we are in the car on the way home, Donna leans back and closes her eyes.

"That's a lot of fuss, just so I can go home."

"Well you're a very important person. Gotta keep you safe." I grin at her.

" _Josh!_ You know that the detail is mostly yours. If you weren't going they probably wouldn't even send an agent with me."

"Well we'll never know for sure, because I am going, but I'd make sure they would send a team."

"Oh yeah?"

"I am very important person." I say teasingly.

"As my parents are finally starting to realize, I bet." She snickers. "Can you imagine my Mother's face while they screened the house for security issues?"

"Yes," I chuckle. "By the way which one us gets to harass Bella about the speeding tickets?"

"Oh I do! Definitely. I totally owe her for telling my parents about the time I got pulled over in high school."

"Donnatella! I thought you were a good girl in high school?"

"Well I didn't actually get a ticket."

"I bet you just batted those big eyes."

"I think the crying helped too."

As soon as we get home, Donna heads straight to the bathroom to throw up. It's odd how we've both got used to it so quickly. I don't like it one bit, but it doesn't completely freak me out anymore. The car and the smell of food seem to do it every time. This weekend could be hell.

When she comes out of the bathroom Donna strips out of her work clothes and climbs into bed in just her panties. My body reacts instantaneously. I'd like to climb in with her but knowing how exhausted she is really does keep my arousal to a manageable level.

She has her eyes closed but I don't think she's asleep so I ask "Did you keep the soup down at lunch."

"Yes."

That's good. That's progress.

"Did you keep some water down?" That's the thing we are most worried about-dehydration.

"Yes. I managed to drink 2 bottles after lunch. That was only the third time I threw up today."

I start chuckling. I can't help myself. "Only."

She opens one eye. "You did this to me." That sobers me up fast.

"Would you believe me if I said sorry?"

"No."

"But I am." I walk over to her side of the bed and lean down and kiss her forehead.

"I am sorry that this is so hard on you. I had no idea. I love you." I whisper.

"I know." She says without opening her eyes.

"Has your stomach calmed down enough to talk about dinner?"

She inhales deeply, then exhales slowly.

"Yeah, I guess so."

"So . . . do you want soup from the Deli or do you want to try something else? Maybe some plain noodles? I could make pasta. Or I could order some grilled chicken." I don't think we have any thawed and if its smells that are setting her off then maybe if we order in she'll be more likely to keep it down.

"Are you sick of the Deli yet?"

"No."

"Then I'll just take some soup. I don't want to push my luck."

"Okay. I'll order it. Just stay put."

I walk back out to the kitchen and order dinner. Then I go to the guest room to get a suitcase. We're leaving straight from work tomorrow and we're not packed. That's one of the ways that I know this pregnancy is really draining Donna.

As I walk back into the bedroom, I see more evidence. Her suit is laying crumbled on the floor. She just doesn't do that. I pick it up and hang it in the closet. Then I set the suitcase on the chair and get to work. We're only going to be gone two days so I think we can share a suitcase. I've finished the casual clothes when the door buzzes.

By the time I pay for the food and get it back into to the kitchen, Donna's up. She's thrown on the Yale Law hoodie and some boxers. She looks sexy as hell, but she still looks tired. I did do this to her. I really do feel bad.

"Hey." She gives me a look over and knows exactly what I'm thinking, "I was kidding earlier. This isn't your fault. I was a willing participant!"

"I woo'd you."

"Yes. You did."

"And now you're sick and tired."

"And now I'm growing a baby."

"It seems like you got the short end of the stick."

She looks at my groin with a gleam in her eye. "It's a pretty nice stick. I don't have any complaints!"


	9. Chapter 9

Traveling commerical isn't so bad with a secret service detail. We by-passed security screening and were escorted to a private lounge, then once the plane was fully boarded we were shown to our seats in the front row of first class. In addition to Jackie and Phil, there is an air marshall in economy.

If it weren't for the vomiting I'd enjoy it even more. I don't know why I thought air travel would make me any less likely to throw up than riding in the car but boy was I wrong. Once in the car, once after take-off, and again as soon as we landed. This is feeling a lot like the first lady's trip all over again. Josh is looking really worried, but I can't comfort him right now. I'm sucking desperately on the drops that Helen gave me hoping to make it to my parents' house.

As soon as the car pulls in the drive way, I throw open the door. I know I'm supposed to wait for an agent, but I just can't. I sprint into the house and into the powder room. When I come out Jackie and my Mother are both standing looking at me with their arms crossed.

"Are you okay?" They say together. I start to laugh. I can't help myself.

"I could use some water."

I follow my Mother into the kitchen, and Jackie follows me. I'm a little surprised at that. The protocol doesn't require her to follow me from room to room here. I sit down at the table and my Mother sets a glass of water in front of me. As I sip it slowly she asks-

"How many weeks are you?" Well, I'm off the hook for making some sort of special announcement at the family dinner. I told Josh it wouldn't be necessary. This is grandchild #8 for my Mom. Still, I am a little surprised that she figured it out less than 5 minutes into the visit.

"Almost 10 weeks. How did you know?"

"Oh Honey! I had 4 babies. I know what morning sickness looks like!"

"Mom- it's 8:30 at night."

"Well, I'm afraid you take after me. I was pretty much sick through the whole pregnancy."

And here, I'd been hoping things might get better in a few more weeks. I look over at Jackie. "Where's Josh?"

"He's meeting the rest of the detail Mrs. Lyman."

"About that Donna," my Mom starts "what exactly do they think is going to happen here? You didn't have these people at Christmas."

"President Santos hadn't taken office yet at Christmas, Mom." I really don't think my Parents fully appreciate how important of a man Josh is.

"Do you know they plan to be here the whole time?! And they will leave the cars running?!"

"Yes, Mom."

"And they did a security check at the CHURCH and they vetted the Pastor!"

"Yes, Mom. You want us to go to church, right?"

"He's the Pastor, Donna!"

"They probably vetted the choir, too." I tell her giggling.

"Well, I'm glad you find this funny."

She really doesn't have a clue. I have to find the funny. Otherwise having security 24/7 would get old fast. But you know, having a stalker made me really appreciate them. Of course, we didn't tell our parents about the stalker. No need to make them worry.

"I'm sorry, Mom. This is part of the job. If having our detail here is too inconvenient, Josh and I can stay in a hotel. And if you think it will disrupt the service, we can stay home."

"No, no, it's fine." Mom grumbles a bit, but I knew she wouldn't want us to skip church.

"Hey, how are you doing?" Josh comes into the kitchen with Scott.

"I'm okay." I tell him. He looks at the glass of water and I take another sip. I know it will make him happy.

"Hey Scott." I greet the agent. We haven't seen him this week because he's been coordinating this visit with the field office.

"Mrs. Lyman. It's good to see you. By the way, Congratulations."

Josh looks panicked for a moment, thinking Scott just blew it for my Mom.

"It's okay Josh, she guessed it already."

He looks relieved, but Mom narrows her eyes. She just realized that she's not the first to know. Aw, hell.

Scott saves us from explaining by launching into some security details.

"Mrs. Lyman, Jackie and Phil will be heading back to the hotel. Kathy and I will be here through the night along with agents from the field office. We will do a shift change at 5am. Do you remember the code word?"

"Yes."

"Okay good."

"I'm going to take our suitcases up to the room." Josh says, leaving me alone in the kitchen with Mom. I take another small sip of water.

"A code word?"

"Since we don't know the agents from the field office, we need a way to verify them. If we need to leave with anyone other than the four agents we know, they'll have to give us a code word for us to know they are legit."

"What's the code word?"

"I could tell you but then I'd have to kill you." I start to giggle again, but Mom still isn't laughing.

I cross my arms on top of the table and put my head down. I'm so tired.

"Is she asleep?" I hear Josh's voice.

"Maybe." Mom my says "she hasn't moved for the last ten minutes. Is she eating?"

"Not enough."

I lift my head intending to glare at them both for talking about me like I'm not here, but I end up ruining the glare by yawning in the middle of it.

"How about some Chamomile tea and toast?" Mom offers.

"Okay." I'm not really hungry but it makes Josh less worried when I eat something. "You should make something for Josh too, he just had some peanuts on the plane." If she can transfer some of her Italian mothering to Josh, I'd be okay with that.

"Why don't you go say hello to your father and then put on your pajamas while I heat some up for you. Josh and I will have a little chat." I think this is the part where Josh and my Mother will start conspiring about how to take care of me. Maybe I'll end up getting to have the tea and toast in bed.

"Okay, Mama."

I make my way down to the den, trying to figure out how to tell my father I'm pregnant. It's kind of silly to be nervous. I'm a married woman. It's not like I'm sixteen or something. But still, it just feels awkward.

"Hey Daddy."

"Hi Pumpkin." My Dad gets out of his chair and gives me a big hug. As soon as he does he frowns a little. "You feel thin. Are you eating enough?"'

I give him a little glare. I swear if one more person tells me I'm too skinny, I might lose it. My body has a mind of its own right now and I'm just holding on for dear life.

"You know, if that husband of yours isn't taking care of you, your brothers and I can rough him up."

I start to giggle. I know he's just joking but the thought is pretty funny.

"Daddy. Did you happen to notice his guards?"

"Kind of hard not to." My Dad grumbles, then he looks worried again. "About that . . . are all those guards necessary? Have there been threats? Are you safe?"

I'm safer with Josh than with any other man I've ever dated. But this is not a discussion I'm going to have with my father after all these years.

"Daddy. Josh is the second most powerful man in the White House. He knows a lot of secrets. Security is necessary. But we are safe. Josh keeps the full detail because he's not going to take any chances with his family. . . . Speaking of which,"

Just as I start to tell him the news, we hear a commotion in the hall. "Good grief! Security screening to visit the folks! My super-important baby sister must be here." Finn's teasing voice carries from the door. Oooh, I can't wait to see baby Kate.

Dad and I both head toward the front of the house. I'll just tell him my news later. Well... I probably won't have to tell him at all. I'm sure Mom will. I'm good with that.

The baby is fussing while Julie hurries to get her out of the car seat. "Sorry, guys, she's ready to eat, like, right now."

Marco is half asleep on Finn's shoulder, but he smiles at my Dad. "Hi Grampa."

"Hey Buddy. Want me to take him while you unload the car?" Dad asks Finn. Marco goes willingly to Grandpa, who carries him down to the den, while Julie ducks into the living room to find a chair to nurse in.

"Want a hand unloading?" Josh offers.

"Yes, you wouldn't believe the amount of stuff you have to travel with when you have a newborn."

"Well then, this will be a good learning experience."

Finn's head shoots up and he looks over at me, not wanting to make an assumption without confirmation. I smile and nod, while my hand drifts to my stomach.

"Oh man! That's great!" He wraps me in a hug. "Go tell Julie. She'll be so excited."

Finn grabs Josh in a hug too. "Congratulations. Come on, I'll teach you how to set up a pack-n-play."

I slip in to the living room and settle on the couch.

"What was Finn so excited about?" Julie asks.

"Josh just told him we're expecting."

"I was hoping that was it! Congratulations. When are you due?"

"November 7."

"So the baby and Kate will be about 8 months apart. I hope you have a girl. What about you? Any gut feeling?

"Not really. I'm still just trying to wrap my mind around the fact that something the size of a strawberry is making me this sick."

"Oh. A lot of morning sickness?"

"And evening sickness. The afternoon sickness has let up a little. But pretty much a guarantee if I ride in a car, I'm going to throw up. And the smell of cooking food!"

"This house might not be a very fun place for you to be this weekend."

"I know but I really wanted to meet Kate. And to see all of you." I pause for a minute. "How did you know what to do when Marco was born?"

"I didn't really. I mean I read some books while I was pregnant, but I still felt completely unprepared. But then they put him in my arms, and I just knew that we'd figure it out. I knew Finn was going to be a great Dad. So I knew it would be okay."

"Are you having doubts about Josh? From what I saw at Christmas he's great with kids!"

"No, no doubts about Josh. He really is good with kids. I'm just not sure how I feel. I'm happy to be having his baby. He's so excited about it. But my biological clock wasn't really ringing, it would have been okay with me if it had taken longer to get pregnant. Does that make me a bad Mom?"

"Aww, Donna. Believe me when I tell you it's completely normal to have doubts about yourself. I think all good Moms do. But you have to trust the people around you- we know you'll be great at this! Kate's done eating. Do you want to hold her?"

"Yes, please." Julie stands up, walks over to me and puts the baby in my arms.

"I'm going to get a glass of water and check on Marco. You okay?"

"Yes."


	10. Chapter 10

"Going somewhere Mr. Lyman?" Scott asks as we open the door.

"Just helping Finn unload the car."

Scott doesn't look thrilled but just follows me out to the car. Our protocol isn't as extreme as the First Family's. I could even get the mail if I wanted to.

The back of Finn's car is completely full.

"How long are you guys staying?"

Finn laughs at me. "Just through Monday. I told you, kids come with a lot of stuff."

He hands me two duffle bags, which I throw over my shoulder then a huge box of diapers. "How many diapers does one baby need?"

"A lot. I'm just so glad Marco is potty trained. I have friends who had two in diapers at once!"

Finn throws a couple bags over his shoulders then grabs a small backpack and a brown rectangular bag with Graco printed on the side. Then grins at me. We are men. We did it in one trip. I follow him into the house and up the stairs. Scott resumes his spot just inside the front door.

I look around the room and set the box of diapers on the desk. The room is pretty much a masculine version of Donna's. Finn drops the bags on the bed and I follow suit. He unzips the Graco bag and pulls out a contraption.

"This is a pack-n-play. Basically it's a portable crib. Sometimes we call it "baby jail."

He's unfolding it while he's talking. Once it's open it doesn't look very secure. Is he sure this thing is safe?

"Okay. You have to lift all the sides until they click into place. Then you push down this locking thing in the middle. Then you put this mattress down." Once he's does he gives it a shake.

"You want to make sure none of the sides will come down with a kid in it."

"This is the bassinette part. It's only good for a few months, but it saves your back during that time."

"Where is Marco going to sleep?"

Finn grabs another bag. "We just got this. It's pretty cool."

He pulls out an air mattress and a battery operated pump and a few minutes later Marco has a little bed. That is pretty cool. I wonder if Donna knows about all this stuff.

"Thanks for the lesson, Finn. I'm going to go find Donna."

When I find Donna in the living room, I pause a moment. Seeing her with an infant in her arms takes my breath away.

"Come in and meet Kate." Donna calls out to me.

"Wow. She's so little."

"She's going to seem huge when the little Bean gets here. Do you want to hold her?"

"Um . . .. " Not really. I haven't had a lot of experience with infants. Although I did hold one of Toby's twins once when they were about this age.

"Come on, it'll be good practice."

I sit down next to Donna and she transfers the baby into my arms. "I gotta pee." She says as she walks out of the room.

"Well, hello" I coo to baby Kate. "I'm your Uncle Josh. When you need help with AP Government and letters of recommendation to Harvard, I'm your guy."

"Harvard, huh?" Julie chuckles at me as she comes back into the room. I'm pleasantly surprised when she takes the chair across from me without immediately reclaiming her baby.

"You look good with a baby in your arms."

"Well thanks. You've got a pretty cute kid here if she can make me look good."

Julie laughs lightly.

"So how are you feeling about impending Fatherhood?"

"Well right now, it seems doable. You know, while I'm holding your sleeping baby. And Finn just showed me how to set up the pack-n-play so I can check that off my list. But the rest of it is a little terrifying, in between worrying that Donna's not going to make it to the end of this in one piece. I don't know how she can go on like this. She's barely keeping any food down." Even as I say it, I feel my blood pressure going up. I can't lose them.

"Hey. Those feelings are normal. Really. Talk to Finn, or Sean, or Jim. They'll tell you. But let me tell you something us girls are a lot stronger than you give us credit for. Donna and the baby are going to be fine."

"Speaking of Donna, where did she go?"

"Lottie made her sit down and drink some tea and have some toast with peanut butter on it. I think she's got a sandwich in there for you too. Here, let me take the baby. I'm going to get my kids in bed then I'm going to sleep too. This one will be ready to eat again in a few hours."

I follow Julie out of the room and head toward the kitchen. I'm relieved to hear that Donna is eating. I really could stand something myself.

Donna's at the kitchen table sipping tea. Her toast has a couple bites out of it. Across from her is a plate with the Turkey Sandwich and chips that Lottie offered to make for me right before Finn arrived.

"Thanks" I say as I slide into my seat. I tried calling her Mom at Christmas, it just didn't really work very well. I'll use it as a title over her name but I tend to just not say it at all. I have noticed that Julie and Becky refer to her as "Gramma" if there are any kids around, so that might end up working for me once the little Bean is here.

"So, um, Gramma & Grampa? Is that what you'd like to be called?"

Lottie looks at me a bit oddly. "That's what the other grandkids call us. I can't imagine why yours would be any different."

"Right."

Having a conversation with Lottie Moss is not the easiest thing in the world. But, I think as I take a bite of my sandwich, she is good with food.

"So . . . what will your Mother be called?" I swallow and grin. I guess we are going to at least try to converse.

"Oh, probably Savta, which is Hebrew for Grandmother. Or maybe Bubbe, which is Yiddish."

"What did you call your Grandparents?"

"My Father's parents were Bubbe and Zayde. My mother's parents died before I was born."

"Oh, I'm sorry to hear that."

"Yes, I guess I understand a little better now, how my Mother felt. I'm sorry my Father won't know my children, and they won't know him."

I look over and see Donna crying. Oh god. I didn't mean to make her cry. I get up and wrap her in my arms. As she sobs softly into my shirt I rub her back, and her Mom slips out of the kitchen. I look down and see that her tea and toast are gone. I think she's just done for the day. I hold her until the crying stops. Her eyes are closed and her head is resting on my stomach. Normally, she'd look up at me a little sheepishly and blame the hormones, but I think she actually fell asleep here. It's definitely time to put my loves to bed.

"Donna" I whisper softly "come on, baby, it's time for bed."

She sighs deeply once. I wish I could just scoop her up in my arms and carry her, but there is no way my back could handle it. I'm pretty sure we'd both end up getting hurt.

"Come on, let's go." I unwrap her arms from my waist and take a step back. Donna opens her eyes and yawns loudly.

Once we get up to her old room she heads straight for the bed. I really wish she had put something comfortable on before Finn and Julie got here.

"Hold on a second, let's get you into some pajamas." I help her get her suit jacket off, and start to unbutton her blouse. She plops down on the end of the bed. She's barely got her eyes open while I slip the blouse off her arms and undo her bra.

"So beautiful." I can't help but running my hands around her sides and caressing her breasts as I pull the bra off.

"So tired." She mumbles.

"I know, baby, it's almost time to sleep." I turn to our suit case to pull out a t-shirt and pajama pants. When I turn back around she's laying on her back with her eyes closed. I smile to myself as I take of her shoes and socks, and then unzip her pants and slide them down her long legs. I ache for this woman. But my desire for her to be healthy far outweighs my sexual urges.

If we were home, I'd just tuck her into bed naked. But she's probably going to need to get up and use the bathroom at some point and since it's in the hall, she's going to need these pajamas. I slide the bottoms up as far as they'll go. Then I lean down and whisper in her ear.

"Lift your hips up, sweetheart." I'm really happy when she complies. After I get the pajama bottoms the rest of the way up, I take her hands and pull her back up to sitting.

"Almost done. Let's just get a shirt on."

"This is backwards" she mumbles again. "Supposed to be getting me out of my pants."

I give her a kiss on the mouth and she opens her eyes for a second.

"You're killing me here, baby. Come on, get under the covers."

She crawls over and puts her head on the pillow. As I pull the covers up around her, I kiss her forehead and just barely make out the last thing she says.

"Helen says lots of sex in the second trimester."

"I'm looking forward to it."

Once I get her suit hung up, I strip out of mine. I hang it up in the closet as well. Seeing our clothes hanging side by side gives me a little burst of pleasure. It's an odd thing to be happy about but I embrace it. I put on some sweats and hoodie and head back downstairs.

I find Finn and Jim in the den. They each have a bottle of beer. I'm shocked. Lottie Moss doesn't allow food or drink outside of the dining room and kitchen. Jim chuckles when he sees my face.

"The girls have all gone to bed. Once she's down for the night, I'm allowed to have my beer in here in peace as long as I clean up after myself. Care to join us?"

"Sure."

"Great, bring us each another beer too, would you?"

I end up just grabbing the rest of the six pack from the fridge and bringing it into the den. I'm really glad that Finn remembers to bring good beer. I wonder when his birthday is? I'm going to enroll him in beer of the month.

I set the beer down on the coffee table and sit down on the couch across from Finn. After twisting the top off, I take a long drink. That tastes really good.

"So what are we watching?"

"Flipping between the end of the Timberlakes v. Knicks game and Sports Center to get all the baseball highlights."

"Excellent. The Mets won today. They're 4 and 0. How're the Brewers doin?" I needle Finn and Jim a little. The Brewers lost today. They're 2-2 and I know it.

Finn gives me a look then slyly says-  
"So, Donna let's you have beer while she's pregnant? I thought at Christmas she said she was going to make you give it up when she had to."

Jim sits upright. "Donna's pregnant?!" Shit. I thought she told him earlier. Finn grins at me.

"Um, yeah, I thought she told you. She's due in November."

"So, you knocked up my baby girl AND eloped?!

"Well, in all fairness, I did wait until after we eloped before I knocked her up." I grin at Jim. Now that I understand his humor I can play along.

"Well, then, good man."


	11. Chapter 11

It's just after 5 when I wake up feeling like my bladder is going to burst. I'm happy to discover I'm wearing pajamas. I have no memory of going to bed last night.

When I come back from the bathroom, Josh is awake and smiling at me. His internal clock wakes him up at 5am unless he's had less than 4 hours sleep, sometimes even then. On weekends he sometimes manages to go back to sleep for an hour or so, then he wakes me up in very pleasurable ways. I really like our weekends. I wish we weren't at my parents house.

I crawl back into bed and snuggle up to him. He immediately wraps his arms around me.

"Hey- how are you feeling?"

"For the moment, pretty good." I almost hate to say it out loud. I'm afraid to jinx it.

"I'm glad to hear that." One of his hands slips under my shirt and starts lightly tracing patterns up and down my side, while he uses the other to trace along the side of my face. It's very relaxing and I feel my eyes getting heavy again.

"Josh. . ."

"mmmhmm?"

"I love you."

"I love you too. Go back to sleep."

"Okay."

At 8 o'clock, the noise from the house wakes me up. I can't believe I slept another three hours! That's crazy. I'm not surprised that Josh isn't in bed with me. I _am_ surprised when he brings up a tray with tea and toast.

"Did my Mother see you?"

"Yes. This is Lottie approved. She suggested that you wait to come downstairs until she's done cooking breakfast for everyone else. She said to eat slowly, then stay in bed for at least fifteen minutes and see how you feel."

"But the Easter Egg hunt. . ."

"It's not until 10. We should be okay."

Josh moves the desk chair over by the bed and sits down next to me. Give him a smile. I'm glad he's staying up here with me.

"I'm not dying, right?" Josh's eyes get kind of wide for a minute. "I'm kidding Josh! Growing up, I'd have to be just about dying to get to eat in here."

"Oh, right." He relaxes. I'm starting to think that this pregnancy really is as stressful for him as it is for me.

"Hey, I'm sorry. I shouldn't joke like that. We're fine. You know what, I haven't really asked you. . . . How're YOU feeling?"

"Me?"

"Yeah, you. I've been kind of self-centered lately and you've been amazing. How are you feeling about this?"

"Oh god Donna, right now, when you are sitting up and smiling and eating, I'm thrilled. Seeing you holding Kate last night, knowing in a few months it'll be our baby, I'm on top of the world. But seeing you incoherent from exhaustion at 9:30, and watching you lose weight because you vomit every time you move, I'm completely terrified. I already love the little Bean. I can't wait to be a family. But if I'd know what this was going to be like for you, . . . ." He pauses and I'm glad he does, I don't really want him to say what I think he was going to say out loud. It looks like he doesn't want to say it either. "Anyway, maybe just one baby is enough, you know?"

I take his hand a give it a squeeze. "Let's table that discussion for about 10 months okay? People keep telling me that every pregnancy is different. The next one could be a breeze. Besides we aren't even a third of the way done with this one yet. Maybe it'll get better."

I nibble on the toast, deciding not to tell him that my Mom threw up for all of her pregnancies. Just because she did, doesn't mean I will. I need to talk to Bella today and find out what her's were like. Even if I do keep getting sick, my Mom has already given me some tips on how to cope better.

"Did you eat breakfast already?"

"Yes, your Mom made scrambled eggs, and hash browns and hash. It was really good."

"That does sound good."

"Do you want me to go get you some?" He looks hopeful. "Your Mom did say that scrambled eggs are a good thing to try when you feel like it."

"Not right now." The tea and toast thing has been working pretty good ever since Josh's Mom suggested it. For the last week, I've managed not to throw up until after the drive into work. I've actually been keeping the soup down at lunch too. My stomach gives a little clench. Maybe I'd better stop thinking about this too much.

"So what did you do after I went to bed last night?"

"Watched some sports with your Dad and Finn."  
"Really? How'd that go?"

"It was okay. Did you know he has beer in there after your Mom goes to bed?" Josh chuckles as my eyes get big. "Your Mom might not be as tough as she leads us to believe." He whispers.

"Don't let her hear you say that."

"Anyway, we talked a little bit about Fatherhood. It was actually kind of nice."

"I'm glad." I feel tears prick the back of my eyes. "I really wish I could have met your Dad. He was always really nice on the phone."

"Yeah, my Dad was something. He used to work a lot, but on the weekends he was home, he'd play catch, and take me to ball games or we'd watch baseball on tv. I think at first he was hoping I'd join the firm, but he encouraged me to follow my dreams, and he told me he was proud of me. I wish you had met him too. He wanted me to bring you for a visit."

"Really?"

"Yes. He was a bit of a match-maker. He didn't like Mandy at all. Tell me more about Donna . . . when do I get to meet her? You should bring her for a visit. . . . I was going to ask you to go with me the next time I went home."

"Noah's a really nice name. If it's a boy do you want to name him after your Dad?"

"I don't know, it might be a lot of pressure, to be named after the grandfather you never met. I'll have to think about it, maybe see what my Mom thinks too."

That kind of surprises me, I didn't really think of that.

"So then, if it's a girl . . ." I almost don't want to bring it up, but I guess I'd rather do this all at once. He swallows hard.

"I definitely don't want to name my daughter Joanie. It would be too hard on my Mom . . . and me."

"Okay. Have you thought about names at all?"

"Not much. Maybe Leo? What do you think?" I'm not sure why he thinks Leo would be less pressure than Noah, but I'm not going to argue.

"Leo is a nice name. I think we should put it on the boys list."

"You have a list? What am I saying. . . of course you have a list."

"Actually, it really is just a mental list right now, but I was thinking we should get a baby name book and start a real list unless you already had strong feelings toward something."

"Let's get a book."

"Okay. Can you take the tray?"

"Where are you going?"

"I have to pee."

When I come back into the room Josh is getting our clothes out of the suitcase, which reminds me that he packed for us. I stop and look at him for a few minutes. It's like he's this completely different guy in some ways. But he's not- it's just that he's stepping up, doing more because I need him to. It makes me feel like having a family and a career might just be possible.

He catches me watching him from the doorway.

"What?"

"I'm just feeling like the luckiest woman alive right now."

"Really?"

"Yes." I walk over to him and he automatic wraps his arms around me. This is my happy place. "You're just . . . perfect." I sniffle.

"Are you crying?"

"No." Stupid hormones.

I feel him trying not to laugh. Then he kisses my hair.

"Come on, let's take a shower. And you can explain the point of an Easter Egg hunt to me."

As we are pulling up to Winnequah Park, I'm sort of wishing we'd bailed on the Easter Egg Hunt. My stomach is rolling and I'm pretty sure I'm going to lose breakfast. I feel like the morning sickness is almost under control except that I can't go anywhere or smell anything cooking. It's really frustrating. I actually felt good getting into this car 10 minutes ago!

"Are you okay?" I don't know why he even asks that anymore. I would think the answer is pretty obvious.

"Can you hand me a bag?" I'm really grateful for the Airline Attendant- she gave me a bunch of air sickness bags on the flight up here. At least this way I can be sick in the car and no one will see me except Josh and the agents.

If I had to get sick outside, it's pretty much a guarantee that I'd see someone I know. The whole town pretty much turns out for this, and we're not really inconspicuous arriving with a secret service escort.

I've finished vomiting and I'm chewing an Altoid when Phil opens the door. "We're ready for you."

I have two reasons for not bailing on this. First, it's a major family tradition. This is Carly's last egg hunt and the first I'll get to see Marco, I don't want to miss it. Second, I had to push a little in the planning to make it happen. This isn't an easy one for the Secret Service. They can't screen everyone here and they can only partially isolate us.

We follow Phil over to the 8-10 year old area. Carly waves at us from behind the starting rope. She's got a good spot. When the whistle blows and the rope is dropped she runs to the middle of the field and starts picking up eggs. In less than a minute that area is completely clear.

"Come on," I say to Josh and the agents. "Carly will find us in a few minutes."

We hustle over to the 3-4 year old area. Things are moving a little more slowly over there so we are able to see Marco pick up and put down several eggs before deciding he likes the blue ones the best. My family is yelling "It doesn't matter what color! Just put it in the basket!" Marco bends down for another blue egg but a bigger girl sweeps in a grabs it.

"Hey!" Josh yells "that was Marco's egg!" He starts toward the kids, and suddenly I can see him here in two years with our little Bean, standing guard to make sure no one steals her eggs. It makes me smile, but I lay a hand on Josh's sleeve.

"It's the way of the egg hunt. You snooze, you lose."

"But it's not fair!"

"Life isn't fair Josh."

Finn walks back over to us with Marco. He's smiling. He has 6 blue eggs in his basket.

"Okay. The moment of truth. Whatcha got?"

Carly opens all her eggs quickly. "No prize ticket here!" She says looking a little disappointed.

"I never won either." I tell her.

"Hey, at least you still get the candy." Aidan says. This was the first year he was too old to participate.

"How did Marco do?"

"He lost interest after opening the first egg. Julie let him have the candy so he's done." Finn laughs again.

"Just open them all while he's distracted!" Julie exclaims juggling the baby.

"Hey buddy! You got a prize!" Finn holds up a ticket.

"Really?" The other cousins are amazed.

"It's probably something small." Sean tells them. "Most of you won something when you were in the younger age groups. They have a lot more prizes in those eggs."

"Finn, can you take him to the prize tent? Kate's ready to eat, I'm going to the car. Carly, can you take Marco's eggs and drop them off with yours?" Julie's on a mission to get out of here.

Everyone disperses and Josh looks at me in amazement. "That was it?"

"Yes."

"But the whole thing lasted less than 10 minutes."

"Yep. Now you know why I said we couldn't be late."

"But. . . you acted like this was a really big deal."

"Josh. It is a big deal. It's a tradition."

He shakes his head like he doesn't understand but he wisely keeps his mouth shut.

"So can we go back to your parent's house now?"

"Yes, we'll find out what Marco won when they get home."

As we are headed back toward the SUV I hear-

"Donna!? Donna Moss?!"

I look to my right and stop. Really? What are the odds?

"Freddie Briggs! How nice to see you."

"You've GOT to be kidding me." Josh mumbles under his breath.


	12. Chapter 12

Seriously, we've been in this park for about 10 minutes and she runs into Freddie Briggs? I tell you my wife is a Gomer magnet! I wonder if I can have Phil shoot him.

"Josh, This is Freddie Briggs. I, uh, knew him in high school."

I give her an incredulous look, does she think I don't remember _exactly_ who he is?!

"Freddie, this is my husband Josh Lyman."

Politeness takes over and I reach out and shake Freddie's hand.

"Donna, you remember Stacy?" Freddie gestures to the woman next to him. "These are our kids. David is 10, Ryan is 8."

"Oh, do you go to school with my niece Carly?" Donna asks David, who immediately turns red and nods.

Great, mini-Freddie Briggs is in Carly's class! I narrow my eyes at him a little. Stay away from my niece, punk.

"So, you live in Washington now?" Stacy asks Donna. What does she live under a rock? "That must be interesting."

"It's a priviledge to serve the country." Donna says standing a little taller. Good for her.

"So do you meet any important people?"

Who is this Stacy person? Clearly not the brightest bulb in the box. Does she never read a newspaper? I know there was an article specifically on Donna's position as FLOTUS' Chief of Staff in the Madison Times Weekly, and she was mentioned in the Wisconsin State Journal's inauguration coverage as well.

Donna giggles a little and I think I heard Phil snort. I can't take it anymore.

"Donna is the Chief of Staff to the First Lady and an advisor to the President. _She's_ an important person." Stacy's eyes bug out a little and she's looking a little like Gail. Donna blushes a little. I hope she's ready to go.

"It was nice to meet you, but you'll have to excuse us." I take Donna's arm. "The secret service doesn't really want us out in the open for longer than necessary." I give Phil a little head nod and the agents circle around us and whisk us off to the SUV.

As soon as we get in the car, Donna starts to give me a glare but ends up laughing.

"You know I should be really mad at you for that little stunt. But the look on Stacy's face was totally worth it, so you are off the hook."

"What?" I'm trying to play innocent, but yeah, I know I just pulled a power play there and it was partially out of jealousy.

"You know what I'm talking about." She gives me a look. "Really? You're going to be jealous of Freddie Briggs because I slept with him 20 years ago?"

She's laughing at me. That's good. I definitely don't want to fight about Freddie Briggs. But bantering . . . that's just fun.

"It was 18. And yes. On this, I get to be a caveman. I get to be jealous of every single man you've ever slept with, especially the man that took your virginity!"

"He was hardly a man then, and look what he ended up with- Stacy Mills!"

"Don't try to make me feel sorry for Freddie."

"Oh no, he did well. She was a cheerleader and very popular. I really wanted to find out how they ended up together. She was way out of his league. I'll have to ask Bella if she has all the details."

"You are way out of his league. Stacy is apparently dumber than a box of rocks. And I don't like that David kid, he better not be putting the moves on Carly."

"Oh my god, Josh! They are 10!"

"Still. I'm going to tell Sean to keep an eye on him."

"Well, you do that babe." Donna closes her eyes and lays her head back against the seat. I see her hand drift to her stomach.

Darn. I was hoping the bantering might distract her and maybe we could make it back to the house without her puking. When the car pulls up in front of the house, Donna doesn't move.

"Give me a minute, please." Donna says as Jackie opens the door. Jackie looks nervous. Protocol is to get us into the building quickly. I wave Jackie off and she closes the door again.

"Aw, hell." Donna mutters quietly, then opens the door and runs toward the house with Jackie on her heels.

While Donna's in the bathroom, I make a decision, there are some things I need from the store. But I don't really want to leave the house. Donna is actually right. Most of the agents are designated to protect me. If I leave to go shopping, I'm not sure how many agents Phil will let me leave behind with Donna and she's definitely not leaving the house any more than necessary. None of Donna's siblings are back from the Egg Hunt yet. Maybe one of them can help me out.

Finn and Julie have their hands full with the kids so it's between Sean and Bella. And since shopping is involved I think Bella's the better choice. I pick up the phone.

"Hey Bella, it's Josh Lyman."

Bella chuckles. "I have your number in my cell phone Josh. You don't have to say your last name." Right.

"Okay, are you guys heading over here sometime today?"

"Yes, we're on our way now."

"Can you stop at the store for me?"

"Sure, what do you need?"

"Ginger ale, Vitamin C drops and a baby name book."

"Josh, do you have something to tell me?"

Oh crap. I assumed that the Moss family network would have already spread the news. But I guess the 5 minutes that we saw Bella and family at the egg hunt wasn't long enough.

"I think I'd better plead the 5th until you talk to your sister."

"Probably a good idea, I'll act surprised but you owe me one."

"Okay. Can you get the stuff for me?"

"Yes, are you making Donna an Easter Basket?"

"A what?"

"An Easter Basket. You know a basket with candy and little presents in it. To celebrate Easter."

"I do not understand Christian holidays at all. Is this like the stocking?"

"Yes, good analogy."

"I didn't give her a stocking, your Mom did."

"Mom will do baskets for the kids but since it's your first Easter, it would be nice for you to do one for Donna."

I can't tell if Bella is serious or not, but I don't want to take any chances.

"Okay, can you get whatever I need for an Easter Basket?"

"Sure, no problem."

"Okay, we don't need special pajamas do we?"

Bella starts to really laugh at me. "No, Josh, you don't need special pajamas."

How the hell am I supposed to know?

When I come back from the den, Donna is sitting at the kitchen table drinking some water. I'm glad to see that Jackie is hovering nearby. Our protocol for inside the house is an agent inside at each of the doors, but since no one else is home yet, it looks like Jackie made the decision to shadow Donna until there was someone else around. I really appreciate that. There are agents outside at the doors as well as at the SUV anyway. We are well guarded. As soon as I walk into the room, Jackie walks over to the back door.

I walk over to Donna and lightly rub her back. She makes a little happy noise, not quite a purr.

"Maybe you should go lay down?"

I say it like a question, even though I'm tempted to make it a direct order. I've figured out that ordering your wife around is really not that good of an idea. But really, she should go lay down.

"I don't want to." My eyebrows lift at the whiney tone. I'm glad I'm standing behind her and she can't see me. She's entitled to whine, it's just not really like her. She only does it when she's tired.

"The rest of the family will be here soon. I want to see them. I don't want to sleep through our time here."

"Okay. I understand." I keep rubbing her back.

A few minutes later the front door opens and a calliope of voices fills the house. The family is back.

"Come on Carly, can I have some gum?" Liam is cajoling.

"You're going to just have to wait until Easter Egg hunt!" She's pretty adamant.

I look at Donna in confusion. "I thought we just got back from the Easter Egg hunt?"

"That was the community egg hunt. My parents will have their own egg hunt for the kids here."

"Does this have some sort of religious significance?" I still haven't figured out why they do this.

"No, it's just for fun."

Donna gets up and makes her way to the front room.

"Hi Aunt Donna! Hi Uncle Josh!" Anna greets us as soon as we walk into the room.

"Hi Anna!" Donna gives her a hug. "We didn't see you at the park."

"She was too busy hanging out with _Brian_." Conor sings. Anna turns red and smacks him on the arm.

"Conor." She hisses. Sometimes she reminds me so much of Donna it's not funny.

"Brian Who?" Sean asks harshly.

"Brian Greyson" Conor answers quickly.

"It's no big deal, Uncle Sean." Anna says, looking to her Mom for support.

"She knows she can't date until she's 16." Bob says, giving Anna a "Dad" look. His arms are crossed and he doesn't look happy about this.

Anna shoots a pleading look towards Donna and me. I cross my arms. I'm with Bob, except I think 30 sounds a lot more reasonable.

Donna gives Anna a soft look and takes pity on her.

"Since you are all here, I have an announcement . . ."

Everyone looks at us expectantly. I don't think this is going to come as a big shock to any of them. I feel a smile coming on and I uncross my arms and wrap one around Donna's waist.

"We're having a baby."

The family room erupts into a celebration. A loud one. Lots of "Congratulations" and "I knew its."

I hear "This is so awesome!" from either Aidan or Liam, who hi-five each other.

And an "it's about time" that I assume is Lottie.

Anna and Carly are hugging Donna, with Bella and Becky waiting their turn.

This a noisy, boisterous family and I just cemented my place it in. I couldn't be happier.

Sean claps me on the shoulder. "I guess Donna did turn 30 at some point, so I guess it's okay that you got my baby sister pregnant." He's grinning at me.

"Now, we've got the next generation to look out for." He looks toward Anna and Carly.

"Yes, about that . . . . You need to watch out for David Briggs. And if you need any help with that, the FBI works for me."


	13. Chapter 13

Josh follows the guys down to the den. Carly and Anna take Marco downstairs to play a game. Liam and Aidan follow them, I'm sure they're going to play video games. Conor hesitates a minute then heads toward the den. Smart boy. If I were him, I'd defintely avoid Anna for a few hours.

My Mom leaves the room, then comes back a few minutes later with a tub of plastic eggs and a lot of candy.

"Get stuffing, girls." She directs us.

As we are filling eggs, the discussion naturally turns to pregnancy.

"So Bella, did you throw up the whole time with Anna and Aidan?" They were both born during the "Freeride" years. I didn't spend enough time with my sister to know what her pregnancies were really like.

"I had a lot of morning sickness with both of them during the first trimester, but it pretty much went away when the second trimester started. I did have a lot of heartburn with both of them. Thank god for tums!"

"Oh! That's good to hear. Maybe this will eventually go away then."

"Liam was my worst pregnancy." Becky volunteers. "Conor had been pretty easy. Then being so sick while having a 2 year old. Ugh. It was horrible and I was convinced he must be a girl because every one said girls make you really sick. And it was such a different pregnancy, I figured it must be a different gender. I was really surprised when Liam was born and turned out to be a boy!"

"What was your pregnancy with Carly like?"

"I just remember being tired all the time. Conor was in pre-school, thank goodness, but we were desperately trying to get Liam potty trained, hoping not to have 2 in diapers." Becky laughs at the memories. Well that's good to see. I guess no matter how bad the pregnancy goes you get over it once you have the kids.

"It's worth it." Julie says standing up. "And since this one is napping, I'm going to get a little shut eye too. That's the best advice for once you have a newborn, whenever the baby sleeps, sleep if you can. Especially if you have older cousins around to play with the 3 year old!"

"Bella, Becky, can you two help me with dinner? Donna, a nap might not be a bad idea for you either, if the smell of food cooking is going to bother you."

I don't really want a nap. I'm tired of being sick and tired. But I also don't think I can stand to be in the kitchen. I wander down to the den and peek through the doorway.

"Donnatella! Come give your father a hug." I walk in and my Dad wraps me in a gentle hug. "My baby girl. Going be a Mama."

"Daddy. Stop." He's going to make me cry.

"Do you know if you are having a boy or a girl? We could use a few more granddaughters around here."

"It's too soon to tell. And I don't know if we want to find out. Josh and I haven't talked about it." Speaking of Josh, he's not here.

"We only found out with Carly. After two boys Becky really wanted to know. She had convinced herself that Liam was going to be a girl, she didn't want to be surprised again." Sean smiles, I know he wanted a little girl.

"We found out with Aidan too. I was happy to have one of each." Bob made no secret that he wanted a boy the first time. It was a little awkward when Anna was born.

"We found out with both Marco and Kate. We just kept it a secret." Finn shares.

"Sneaky!" Sean lightly punches him in the arm.

"Wow! I thought you guys didn't know." That's an interesting idea. I might have to talk to Josh about that.

"Yep it was easier to keep it a secret that way."

The guys settle back into watching something on the history channel. It seems like something Josh would like. I watch for a few minutes until the smell of cooking meat starts to drift through the house.

"Oh god." I get up and hurry to the upstairs bathroom. I guess I should have listened to my Mother. If I was sleeping, I might not be vomiting. Once I'm done in the bathroom, I head into my room. Now I really am ready to lay down.

Josh is standing in front of the desk trying to hide something behind his back.

"I'm not quite ready."

"Ready for what?"

"A surprise. Can you, um, lay down and close your eyes?"

Well, that was the plan when I came in here but now I'm curious. I lean to the side and try to peek around him.

"Donna! Close your eyes!"

Ooooh, the no-nonsense voice. I actually comply for once, and close my eyes and stand still.

"Good girl." Josh whispers in my ear. Oh my god, he's making me want to forget the nap, but we cannot have sex right now. Josh covers my eyes with his hand and leads me over to the bed.

"Okay, keep your eyes closed and sit down."

Once I do, I end up yawning loudly. It's not even noon yet. How can I be tired?

"Maybe you'd better lay down. I need like, 10 minutes."

"Okay." I lay down and listen to Josh rustling things.

"What the heck is this?" I hear him mutter. I'm tempted to open my eyes and peek, but my eye lids are just too heavy.

"Lunch is almost ready. Do you want to try to eat?" Josh is running a hand over my head and tracing my face gently with his fingers. It's such a peaceful way to wake up. When I open my eyes, Josh is sitting on the bed next to me.

"Mmmmm" I stretch and start to sit up. "What time is it?"

"Almost one, you slept about an hour."

"I'm sleeping my life away. This is crazy."

"Hey, growing a baby is really hard work. You deserve all the rest you can get."

"What's that?" I just spotted a basket on the desk. Was that what he was doing when I came in earlier?

"It's an Easter Basket." Josh's eyes get wide for a second.

"I know, silly. Who's it for?" I ask him teasingly. I'm pretty sure I already know.

Once he picks up on my tone he relaxes.

"It's for you. I asked Bella to pick up some stuff. For a second there, I thought she tricked me."

"Can I have it?"

"I don't know." He says honestly, shrugging his shoulders. Then he goes on-

"I don't know how these traditions work. I mean I've seen commericals with Easter Baskets and such, but I never really paid that much attention. I don't know who is supposed to make them, what they should have in them, when you hand them out. . . ."

"Josh, it's okay not to know. We'll figure out which traditions we want to include in our family celebrations, maybe we'll make some new ones. I really enjoyed just experiencing Passover with you and Mom. It's something I'd like to keep doing. So far you've only seen the silly side of Easter. If we enjoy these things, we can do them but if not, it's okay. It's not supposed to be stressful."

"Okay." He says giving me a hug.

"So can I have my basket?"

"Is now a good time?"

"Sure, my Mom will give the kids their baskets before they go tonight since they'll be spending Easter day with their other grandparents."

"They won't be here?"

"No, we have to share holidays. Both Bob and Becky's families live pretty close by so it's pretty convenient. They kind of alternate, since Christmas Day was here, they'll spend Easter Day there. That's why we are having our big traditional Easter meal today instead of tomorrow."

"So we won't see them tomorrow?" Josh looks really disappointed. It's weird but it makes me kind of happy. He really has come to love my family. Well at least the kids.

"Actually, we will get to see them. They'll still come to church."

"Okay, good."

"So, now, can I have my basket, please?" I nudge him in the side and he grins at me. Uh oh. I know what that look means.

"Well, someone's a little impatient. Maybe I should make you wait until tonight when the kids get theirs."

" _Josh_!"

He laughs and tickles me a little. It's nice and relaxing. But now curiosity has got the best of me. I really want to see what's in the basket.

" _Please_." I give him the big Bambi eyes as he calls them. He always had a hard time resisting when we worked together, he's practically helpless against them now.

"Okay, okay. Not the Bambi eyes." He says getting up from the bed to retrieve the basket. "You know if you teach our daughter that I'm going to be completely powerless. Our house will be overrun by kitties and puppies and ponies!"

"I always have wanted a Pony!" I laugh. "Don't worry, I can be bad cop sometimes. I'm not really interested in having a menagerie of pets."

Josh sets the basket in front of me sheepishly and starts to explain. "I didn't pick all this by myself. I told Bella what I wanted and she went to the store and added some stuff. I don't even know what all of this is!"

"It's okay. It's the thought that counts."

"Well I didn't really think of it myself. Bella said I should get you a basket. I had just called her with a list of a few things."

"Josh- that's the thought that counts. You thought of some things that might make me feel better and found a way to get them. The fancy basket is just a bonus. Which by the way, I'd really like to open now."

As I start to pull things out, I realize this is a good chance to talk to Josh about it.

"So there's really 3 things that are pretty traditional about Easter Baskets around here- First, is the basket itself. My Mom used the same ones the whole time we were growing up. They had a liner with our inital monogrammed on them. Second, the Chocolate Bunny. That's a requirement."

I pull the gold-foil wrapped bunny out of the basket. God bless Bella, she got good chocolate. I unwrap it and bite the ears off.

"I always eat the ears right away. Otherwise my Dad might do it."

"The stuffed bunny is kind of a thing too. Eventually those stopped appearing in the boy's baskets but there was always one in mine." I give it a little cuddle. I always have liked stuffed animals. "But some little toy type thing or as we got older a gift card or something like that."

"When did you get them?"

"When we got home from church after the sunrise service."

"Sunrise?"

"Yes, that's part of the Irish thing. We'd get up in the dark and go to a short service to watch the sunrise. Then we'd come home, get our baskets and have pancakes, then we'd go back to regular church, then come home and have Easter Dinner. Then an Easter Egg hunt."

"We don't have to go to Sunrise do we?"

"No, that was mostly for my grandparents. I don't even think that my parents church does that."

"Okay, let see what else we've got in here. . . . Ginger-ale. . . that sounds good."

"I put a couple in the refrigerator so you'll have some cold to drink with dinner."

"Good idea."

"Vitamin C drops."

"Believe it or not, Amy suggested those. Apparently they worked for her sister. I'm not sure those Preggie Drop things are really doing any good."

"Maybe a little, but they taste kind of weird. I'll try these." I pull some more stuff out of the basket. Tums, Socks, Lip Balm, Mints, Sea-bands.

"Udder Butter?!"

"Yeah, I have no idea! You'll have to ask your sister."

The last thing I pull out is the baby name book. I noticed it right away. I'm sure it's what Josh sent Bella to the story for in the first place. I look up at him and smile.

"Let's start a real list." He says, making me giggle.

"What?"

"Sexy talk." I giggle again. He rolls his eyes but leans down to kiss me.

"JOSH! DONNA! LUNCHTIME!" Well I guess the list-making will have to wait until later.


	14. Chapter 14

"Are you going to try to join us?"

"Yes, I'm a little hungry. I don't know about lamb, but I'm sure my Mom made Stracciatella."

"What's Stracciatella?"

"It's an Italian Soup. It's pretty simple it has a little pasta in it. And I'm sure there's warm Soda Bread- that's an Irish thing."

The food's all on the table when we get downstairs and everyone is seated waiting for us, but no one looks upset. I think they know how rough this pregnancy has been for Donna so far.

While Donna's Dad says grace, I peek at the food. Just like at Christmas, there is a lot of it! Donna was right about the soup. We each have a bowl in front of us. There are two platters with roast lamb with a green pesto sauce, there are several loaves of bread that smell fantastic. A bowl of creamy green stuff that might be spinach. I don't think I'll try that. But there is also a bowl of carrots, so I'll make Donna happy and eat some vegetables. There is some sort of casserole dish that looks kind of like an omelet, cheese and eggs and what I guess might be lamb in it. I do like lamb, so overall, I'm feeling pretty good about this. I just hope Donna can eat something.

Dinner is a pretty noisy affair. Conversations flowing back and forth from the kids table to the adult table, and from one end to other. The topics move pretty quickly and often overlap, but I'm in my element. I can switch gears easily and I don't find the Moss family nearly overwhelming as I did at Christmas.

"Hey Bella-" Donna chimes in, "you'll never guess who we ran into at the Egg Hunt. Freddie and Stacy Briggs!"

"Oh really?" Bella raises an eyebrow and looks at me. I'm sure she's wondering if I know who he is.

"Didn't you date him in high school?" Sean asks. I see Lottie's mouth tighten a little. I think Bella and Lottie know exactly what Freddie was to Donna but I'm not sure whether her Dad and brothers do.

"Um, yeah," Donna says. "So anyway- how did he and Stacy Mills end up together?"

"Stacy was a cheerleader wasn't she?" Finn asks, and Julie raises her eyebrows at him. "I barely remember her, she was a grade younger than me."

"They both ended up at Carthage College in Kenosha. I think it was the commuting home for holidays. They moved back here after college. They ended up buy her parents house. Their oldest is in Carly's class, isn't he, Becky?"

"Yes, I think so."

"Carly- is David Briggs in your class?"

"Yeah!" I watch her carefully. She doesn't seem interested. Good.

The rest of dinner passes uneventfully. The lamb was outstanding. Lottie Moss really is a VERY good cook. Donna ate a bowl of soup and some bread. I'd like to see her eat a bit more, but really it's more important that she keep something down. I think I need to ask Lottie for some soup receipes and maybe some other foods that Donna might like if she ever gets an appetite back.

"Why don't you go sit in the living room for a little while, keep Julie company. I'll help clear the table." I plant a kiss on her cheek.

"Oh the kids will clear the table. You need to go help the Dads hide the eggs."

"Come on, Josh, it's time for some fun." Sean announces, standing up. Jim and Finn grin and join him. Bob and I follow suit.

Once we are outside, Sean opens the bin of eggs. Damn, that's a lot of eggs for 6 kids.

"Okay, Josh, the idea here is for this hunt to take longer than a few minutes. This is supposed to be challenging! And this isn't like the community egg hunt where there is a limit per child. This is a competition to see who finds the most."

"Well, this _does_ sound like more fun."

"So hide them high, hide them low, and hide them in hard places!" Jim encourages me.

It takes us a solid fifteen minutes to hide the eggs. I can't wait to see how long it takes them to find them. When we go back inside, Lottie has coffee waiting for us and the kids are almost done with the chores. I like the way they help out.

Once the kids are done, they get their windbreakers on. It is a bit chilly out there. The kids line up at the back door in reverse age order and Lottie hands them each a canvas sack with their names on it. Lottie really seems to like to put their names on things, we'd better pick a good one.

The Moms all head out back to take pictures as the kids come out the door.

"Okay, Conor, you know the rules. You have to wait 1 full minute between each kid. Come on Josh, you want to see this from the other side." Lottie takes my arm and leads me out back.

Jim's videotaping as Marco comes out the door. He immediately looks around. I left a few blue eggs in easy to spot places. There is one in a large potter right beside the door. I'm really glad when he sees it right away and puts it in his bag.

A minute later Carly comes out. She immediately heads toward Jim's little shed. Smart girl. There are lots of eggs hidden over there.

Aidan's next. He runs to the front yard. A minute later, Liam follows. That is where the majority of eggs are. There is a lot more landscaping, so a lot more hiding places.

When Anna comes out, she checks on how Marco is doing. She points out a blue egg laying on a cushion on a patio chair. Then she looks up and plucks an egg off the window sill. She doesn't seem to care that much but she's participating without complaining. That's nice.

Conor is the last out the door. He ambles toward the front yard too and I follow him. I'm curious to see how the three boys work this. When we get to the front, I see Adian in the tree trying to get couple eggs that were put on high branches. Liam is flipping over the cushions on the bench on the front porch. Conor reaches up for the egg on the door frame, and then gets one from the top of the window.

After about 10 minutes, Aidan and Liam proclaim- "I think we got them all!"

I'm sure they haven't. I look at the agent standing by the front door. He shakes his head lightly. He moves his foot a little and I can see the egg hidden between him and the wall.

"Nope! I can see one from here!"

Aidan follows my line of vision and runs back up to the porch. He stops in front of the agent not sure what to do. The agent stares back at him for a second then moves slightly to the left revealing the egg. Aidan laughs, snatches it up and says "good one Uncle Josh!"

"Let's go count!" Liam yells to Aidan. Conor is still looking in all the higher places, rain gutters, the carriage lights on the garage, the evergreen bushes, as he makes his way around the house one more time.

Once we are back in the house, he joins the others at the dining room table. There is a definite process going on here. Each kid has a gallon size ziplock bag, with their name on it, of course. They open the eggs, dump the candy into the bag, snap the eggs back together and put the empty eggs back into the bin. They are all doing this quietly. It's kind of eerie.

"Why are they so quiet?" I whisper to Donna.

"They're keeping track of how many eggs."

"28" Carly announces.

"You beat me, squirt. I got 24" Conor ruffles her hair.

"Me too." Anna says. "I got 13." She wasn't really trying.

"Marco got 16." Julie says.

"37" Aidan shouts.

"Dang it!" Liam responds, "I got 36."

"That means there is one more out there." Jim says adding up the numbers. "There were 155."

Liam jumps up and races to get his shoes on. If he finds it, he can tie Aidan. Aidan quickly follows him.

My lips quirk up. They're never going to find it.

"Josh?" Donna is giving me a look.

I turn slightly and point down to where a blue egg is sticking out of my coat pocket.

Donna starts to laugh. "You're evil. You fit right in."

"How long do we let them go out there?"

"Until you're sick of it. You have to go stand outside until they find it or give up, otherwise it's not legal. You can't hide the eggs inside."

"So many rules." I give her a kiss and head back outside.

Scott and I watch in amusement as the boys scour the backyard. It's cute how they assume the girls missed one. They are looking through every bush, checking every downspout, moving all the chairs. I'm just standing watching with my arms crossed. I've made sure that the egg is actually sticking out of my pocket now, so there really is no basis for complaining.

Liam finally says-"Maybe someone miss counted?"

"Uncle Josh, Do you know where it is?" Aidan asks. It looks like they are about to give up.

"Yep." I turn slightly and both boys see it at the same time. They come barreling towards me from across the yard. It's a real foot race. Suddenly, Scott steps in front of me and both boys stop.

"Just kidding." Scott grins at them and steps out of the way. Liam manages to grab the egg.

"It's a tie!" He shouts.

"I guess you'll have to split the prize?" I ask the boys.

"Oh, there's no prize," Aidan responds "just bragging rights for a year."

I love this family.

After the egg hunt, the kids head back downstairs to play their games. Most of the family is gathered in the den, watching something on TV, but Donna, Lottie and I have ended up in the living room.

"You're supposed to name the first boy after the paternal grandfather, so I imagine Noah is at the top of your list?"

I'm slightly surprised, and more than a little pleased, that Lottie knows my father's name, but I'm not really ready to talk about it yet. I need to think about it and I really do want to see how my Mom would take it.

"I think you're making that up. I don't have a grandfather named Sean!" Donna challenges her mother. She does that sometimes.

"Sean is another Irish version of John."

"Oh." Donna says. "What about Finn?"

"Well, you're supposed to name the second son after the maternal grandfather."

"Your Dad's name was Giovanni. How do you get Finn from that?"

"Well, actually, by then we had decided that the boys would get Irish names and the girls would get Italian names. I just liked the name Finn. But since Giovanni is the Italian equivalent of John. We had told my Dad that Sean was named after both grandfathers."

"Well, that's quite a stretch."

"Marriage is about compromise, dear."

I give Donna a little smirk. Sometimes I like her Mother quite a bit.

"You know, you're supposed to name the first girl after the maternal grandmother." I think she really is making that one up.

"But I'd be happy if you just kept the Italian tradition."

Lottie is relentlessly listing names that she likes. Donna tuned out long ago, her eyes closed, her head in my lap as I trace her face with my finger tips. I think she's almost asleep.

"Lydia, Luciana, Leonora, Lilliana . . ."

I've been trying to be attentive, but I'm fading myself until something catches my attention.

"Leonora" I test it out. "Leonora, now that has possibilities."

"Absolutely not." Donna says without opening her eyes.

"Leonora- it's like a combination of Leo and Noah- for a girl."

Donna opens her eyes and sits up and looks at me fully in the face. "She'll hate it. She'll absolutely hate it . . . until some _man_ says it in a way that makes her heart flutter."

"Donnatella," I say her name like it's a caress, and I can feel her heart rate increase.

"Yes?"

"Donnatella," I repeat looking deep into her eyes and cupping her cheek with my hand. "I love your name."

She sighs. "Me too."

"You're welcome!" Her mother sings.

Donna lays back down and closes her eyes. "You can put it on the list, but don't get too attached to it."

"I could call her Lulu."

"Lulu Lyman?" Donna snorts. "You really don't want the little bean to like you, do you?"


	15. Chapter 15

I stopped listening to my Mom and Josh talking about baby names a long time ago. I've been half awake for quite a while. I really should get up and go spend some time with my siblings, but laying here having Josh pet my head is just so damn comfortable.

"Hey, you guys up for a game?" Finn's voice pulls me out of semi-consciousness.

"I think Donna's asleep." Josh whispers.

"No, I'm wake." I sit up. "What are we playing?"

"You play Sheepshead?" He looks at Josh.

"Did you say Cheesehead?" Josh snarks. I give him a pinch, although honestly he's managed to contain the Cheesehead jokes better than I expected.

"Sheepshead, it's a card game. Do you know how to play?"

"No, I don't believe so."

"Euchre?"

"Gesundheit." He grins at me. He's just on a roll here. But we get up and head out to the dining room. The rest of the gang are already there getting the cards ready.

"What _do_ you play?" Finn finally asks Josh.

"Poker and Risk. Oh and Yahtzee and Mousetrap." Josh says with a little smirk. "It's fine. I'll just watch."

"Julie is just watching too."

"Doesn't she play?"

"Oh she plays! She grew up in Wisconsin." Bob says.

"But with the baby, it's easier if one of us sits out." Finn turns to me. "Mom isn't going to play either. Should we let Conor in or play with 7?"

"Let Conor in. Let's find out if he's a true Moss."

'What does _that_ mean?" Josh asks.

"Oh it usually means that they end up leaving the room in tears when they lose!" Becky hollers. Bob gives her a high five. During Family game night the in-laws tend to stick together.

I think Josh made a good decision to just watch. This is a complicated game. We've all been playing since we were teens. Hey, it's kind of like golf for him. I might have missed my opportunity to torment him a little.

Josh sits between me and Finn and we try to teach him as we go.

"This is played with a Poker deck." I explain.

"So far so good." Josh is nodding.

"Okay so Queens are high, the order of suits is- clubs, spades, hearts, diamonds. Then Jacks are next, same order, then it's the diamonds, but its Ace, 10 King, 9, 8, 7."

"The rest are fail cards." Finn puts in.

And with that Josh officially looks lost. That's generally where you lose the newbies right there. The thing is, if he decides he wants to play in the future, he'll probably read a book about it, then end up beating us all. The other in-laws will welcome him with open arms.

There's a lot of good natured bantering as the game progresses.

"Hey Conor- you reneged!" Finn accuses him.

"He get's that from YOUR side of the family." Sean smirks at Becky.

"Those are fighting words, Mister." Becky responds half in jest. "Better watch it or I'll renege on you tonight!"

That causes a chorus of low murmurs among the men. And a smirk from Bella.

"What just happened?" Josh asks.

"Conor could have followed suit earlier, but he didn't. So now he forfeits the hand." If it was an adult we'd accuse them of cheating, but since it's Conor everyone is just assuming he made a mistake.

"Oh." Josh looks between Sean and Becky. I think he's following Becky's threat to "not follow suit" when Sean tries to initiate sex, but I'm not quite sure. It's pretty common for Bella and Becky to make threats to withhold sex, as sort of "power plays" with the guys. They always seem like empty threats but I don't really know. I've never seen Julie do it. But other than my family I haven't been around a lot of married people. I'm not sure how common this is. We're still newlyweds. I have no desire to withhold sex. In fact, I wish I wasn't so tired all the time these days. Our sex life has suffered and I don't like it one bit.

A few hands later Sean, whoops "Granny hand!" And lays his cards down.

"What was that?"

"He has all the top trump, so no one can beat him."

When the game is almost over, Mom asks Josh to help her get dinner ready. She's just laying out cold cuts and salads. I'm relieved there won't be any food cooking.

Josh looks relieved to be released from the table. For as competitive as he is, games like this just don't seem to be his style. He enjoyed the occasional Poker games at the White House and even went to Atlantic City once and played, but it seems like what he really likes is just being with people. The "pizza and beer" aspect of it. I wonder if that comes from growing up without siblings or if its an East Coast thing.

After the game, I ate half a turkey sandwich and so far I've kept it down. That's both lunch and dinner. It's like a record for me. I'm seriously contemplating dessert.

I'd love a piece of the Ricotta Cheesecake, but I think that it might be too rich. Josh has a piece on his plate though, so I can certainly have a bite or two.

"Are those eggs?" He's looking at one of the plates with mild disgust.

"Yes, it's called Easter Bread, but it's really a dessert. It's sweet."

Not surprisingly, he passes by it and starts looking at the cookies. I point out the varieties- "Lemon drop, Easter Nests, Black-eyed Susans, Italian Sprinkle Cookies."

"You guys have a lot of cookies at these gatherings." I shrug and nod. It's an Italian thing.

"Do you, like, know how to make all these things?"

"I helped my Mom cook for most of my life. I think with her recipes, I could probably make most of it. Cheesecake is kind of intimidating, but I'm willing to try if you are."

"We should get the recipes. I really like cooking with you. I can picture our kids doing it someday too. It seems like a nice tradition."

I stop and give Josh a hug and a kiss. I like the way he said that. I'm all for having some family traditions, but I'm really happy that he wants to be part of it, and not just stick me in some sort of "traditional" wifely role.

"So what are you going to have for dessert?" He asks me. My plate is still empty.

I finally decide on a piece of the Victoria Sponge Sandwich.

"That looks good, what's in the middle of it?" Josh looks at it with interest.

"It's raspberry jam and whipped cream between two layers of sponge cake. I'll give you a bite of mine if you give me a bite of your cheesecake."

"You're going to take a bite of my cheesecake anyway, aren't you?"

He teases me but he looks pleased. I'm pretty sure he'd fly me to Italy if he thought it meant I'd eat something. Of course, if I flew to Italy by the time we arrived I wouldn't feel like eating anymore.

"Yes, pretty much."

"Well then, I accept your offer."

After dessert is over, Bella and Sean's families are getting ready to head home. I'm sorry to see them go. I actually really enjoyed this visit. It felt a lot like when I was in high school and we all hung out during holidays. The tension from my college years seems to be gone. We'll get a chance to say our final goodbyes tomorrow after church, but I'm kind of already missing them.

As the kids are cleaning up the basement, my Mom is putting their Easter baskets on the table. The baskets are pretty similar to the ones that we had growing up. They are all a natural willow finish and have a liner embroidered with their names on them.

"Does she used the same baskets every year?" Josh asks me as we watch her carrying them in.

"Yes, I think Bella and Becky return them shortly after Easter. My guess is that Julie just leaves Marco's here."

The baskets are pretty much what I told Josh earlier- they each have a Chocolate Bunny, Marshmallow Peeps and a gift card. Anna's and Carly's have stuffed bunnies in them.

"Are those Itunes gift cards?" I ask Mom on her last trip in.

"Yes, for those thingies that you got them for Christmas." Josh smiles.

She sets the last baskets on the table and I move over to see what she got Marco and Kate. My breath catches. There is a little basket with an "L" monogrammed on the liner.

"Mom ..." I can't even thank her, it's so sweet.

"Is this for the little Bean?" Josh asks her.

"Yes, we'll get the baby a new one next year with the right name on it, but I wanted to include him in this years celebration."

"Him?" I ask.

"Or Her" Mom amends.

"Thank you, that was really sweet." Josh gives my Mom a hug. But she just waves him off like its no big deal.

"How'd you even find a basket?"

"Oh, Target. They have everything. I stopped on the way back from the Egg Hunt."

Josh carries the basket over to a chair and starts to paw through it. There is a small stuffed rabbit, a little Easter board book, a pacifier, and a onesie that says "My First Easter." It's a 6 month size so it might even fit next year. And of course, there is a Chocolate bunny. Josh opens it and bites off the ears. Yep. He's ready for fatherhood.

As soon as we climb into bed, Josh spoons me and starts running his hands all over me. I'm getting turned on fast. It's been too many days since we did this, but I'm never comfortable with the idea of sex in this room. On the other hand, I'm sure I won't be up for it tomorrow after a day of traveling, and probably not Monday with the Easter Egg Roll at the White House. Josh has been so great, I don't want to deny him or myself for five days. It feels like we should seize the opportunity while we have it. Still, looking at my frilly cream curtains, just throws me off.

Sighing deeply, I decide to just let him have his way with me. I roll onto my back to give him better access. But Josh stops and looks at me, smiling gently.

"I wasn't planning to ravish you in your parent's house. I know you don't want to have sex here. I just can't help touching you. I miss this."

"But if we don't do it now, it could be a few days before I feel up to it again." I find my voice hitching a little as I whisper back to him. I'm on the verge of tears. I desperately want him. I want to be as close to him as physically possible.

"C'mere" Josh rolls me so that I'm mostly laying on top of him, my head tucked under his chin, and my legs tangled in his. His hands slide under my shirt and rub my back gently.

"Just relax, try to forget about where we are and just see what happens. If this is as far as it goes, it's still an amazing night."

Yeah, I don't get Becky and Bella at all, why would I ever willingly give this up?


	16. Chapter 16

At 8 o'clock Donna gets up and goes to the bathroom. When she comes back, she's glowing. It's been a while since she looked like this in the morning and I didn't hear her throwing up.

"How do you feel?"

"Pretty good! I was thinking I'd like pancakes for breakfast."

Wow! Maybe we're beyond the morning sickness. I grin. "I'm pretty sure I can make that happen."

Donna laughs at me. "I'm pretty sure that's what my Mom was planning on anyway."

"Do you want breakfast in bed? What if she's cooking something else?" I don't want to push our luck. I'll be so happy if she eats more than a piece of toast.

"How about you go do recon? If there is meat cooking, I'll eat up here."

"I'll be right back." After I pull some sweats on, I give her a kiss and head downstairs.

I find Lottie in the kitchen. She's stacking pancakes on a serving plate.

"Josh, put the tin foil back over that would you?"

"Sure. Donna's looking forward to pancakes this morning."

"That's good to hear!"

"I'm a little worried about cooking meat though. She's still really sensitive to smells."

"Sausage is already cooked. It's in the oven staying warm. I made some turkey sausage for you."

"Thanks! You're the best!" I don't know what I said that . . . really my Mom's the best, but Lottie is really growing on me.

"Donna and I will be back down in a few minutes."

After breakfast, we head upstairs to get ready for church. We both take quick showers and I get dressed while Donna is blow drying her hair.

She comes back in and roots through the suitcase. This is at least the second time she's done that. She keeps giving me glances. I can tell she's not happy but I'm not sure if it's my fault or not. My spidey-senses are telling me it might be dangerous to ask, but I can't take it any longer.

"What are you looking for?"

"My bra."

"It's right here." I hold up the baby blue bra she's been wearing all weekend.

"Not that one. My dress is a halter. I need my strapless bra."

uh. oh. I didn't know she needed a special bra. I was just happy I knew which dress she had planned to wear. She slept through the packing for this trip.

"I didn't pack another bra. I figured one was enough since we were only going to be here a couple days."

I look at the bra I'm holding. It's one of my favorites. I love this color on her.

"Can we just cut the straps off this one?"

"No! Ugh. You know I must have been exhausted if I let you pack."

"Sorry, honey."

Our nice morning has kind of been shot. I should have double checked with her when she woke up on Thursday night to make sure I had everything she needed. I'm about to apologize again when suddenly, Donna looks up at me sheepishly.

"No, I'm sorry. I've got no right to snap at you. You've been amazing. You've taken such good care of me, making food, packing, buying me gifts. And I've been completely useless." She starts to sniffle. These hormones are crazy.

"C'mere." I open my arms. I know exactly what she needs. She walks into them and I wrap her up in a hug. In a few minutes practical Donna will return and we'll figure this out.

I hold her tight and rub her back until the sniffling stops. Once it does she pulls away from me.

"I'm sorry, I'm kind of being ridiculous.'

"It's okay. Let's see if we can figure something out. So seriously, could we cut these straps off or tuck them in or something? Would it still hold everything where it, uh, needs to be?"

"I guess I can try tucking them in"

Donna puts the dress on. It's pretty, but her arms are bare.

"Are you going to be warm enough? I didn't pack you a sweater." I can forgive myself for the bra, but I really should have brought a sweater for her.

"It's fine, I'll be okay."

I'm not convinced. I guess she can leave her coat on, or I can take my suit coat off.

At 9:30 we are ready to go. Jim and Lottie left about ten minutes ago. Donna said they like to mingle and talk before the service starts. Once we are in the car I ask-

"So, how much is this going to be like Christmas?"

"Well, this is closer to regular church."

"I don't think I've ever been to regular church. I've been to weddings and funerals and temple and Christmas eve with you."

"Ah . . . Okay. There will definitely be lots of music and singing. Probably some of the old hyms. So that will be like Christmas. But you probably won't know any of them. I mean its not like they play Easter music in stores. But, there will probably be a program with the order of worship. It will have the hymn numbers, and if there are responsive readings they'll be printed. So you can just follow along. The sermon will probably be a little longer than at Christmas and it might be a little more pointed."

"What do you mean?"

"Well Christmas and Easter are both about hope. But Christmas is all about a baby about to be born. Easter is about sacrifice. The focus is Jesus' death and resurrection. Depending on the minister things can get a little . . . well, fiery."

"Ah. I see." The Christmas eve service was nice. I hope this is more like that and not overly judgmental and harsh. I guess we'll see. I try to lighten the mood a little.

"Anything I need to know about candles or anything like that?"

"Oh! I suppose we should talk about communion. You should just skip it."

"Well, yeah, I knew that."

As we pull up in front of the church, I watch Donna's face. I'm starting to see the signs of when she is feeling sick to her stomach. She closes her eyes and swallows hard. I just feel so bad that this is almost a constant thing. It does seem like it's gotten a little better but traveling is just not good. I'm not looking forward to the trip home tonight.

I had warned Jackie that Donna would probably need a few minutes once we arrived. I'm glad I did.

Once Donna's ready we head into the church with Phil and Jackie flanking us. Donna waves and smiles at people as we go in, but we've timed this just right so we are joining the family in the row just before the service starts. Jackie stops just inside the door, while Phil stands at near the wall at the end of our row. There are also agents near the doors at the front of the church. They are standing near the walls but they are not exactly inconspicuous.

The music stops and the minister steps to the front. Donna hands me a program. The minister begins-

"It is Easter once again and a time when Christians worldwide celebrate the Glorious Resurrection of Christ with unsurpassed spiritual joy. Once more, we recall the everlasting message of the angels who centuries ago proclaimed,

 ** _"Why do you seek the living among the dead, He is not here, but is risen…"_** (Luke 24: 5-6)"

I guess that was the Easter Greeting. The next thing listed is a "Call to Worship" I'm glad its printed out. I'm not comfortable with all the congregational parts, but I can repeat a few of them. I like the idea that "Love is alive!" Donna seems to glow when she says "New life is within us!"

The next thing is a Hymn, _Christ the Lord is Risen Today_. We'll that is definitely the message of the day. The melody is pretty easy to learn and I sing along on the Alleluias. Donna's Mom gives me a nice smile.

After the hymn, the minister steps back up to pray.

"God of all ages and of all people, the shadows and gloom of Good Friday have been dispersed by the light and color of Easter Sunday. We rejoice in your love that turns sorrow into joy and despair into hope. May the good news of this day inspire us to embody your love and justice that those cries of joy first heard on Easter morning may echo through the centuries to our time and place. In Christ's name we pray. Amen."

Well, nothing really objectionable for me there. I've been wondering how we were going to do this. I love Donna's family and I want my kids to have the traditions and celebrations that their grandparents and uncles and aunts and cousins have, but I couldn't imagine raising them in the faith of the Mary Marshes of the world. Donna's comment in the car had me a little worried. Would we really be able to raise our kids in both our faiths? But hearing a prayer like this makes me feel like its possible.

The Choir is lovely. I mean who doesn't like the Hallelujah Chorus? Then there is a scripture reading. When the offering plate is passed, I drop some money in even though minister says that "visitors shouldn't feel obligated."

I'm a little surprised when Donna sings the Doxology and recites the Lord's Prayer without looking at the program, given how infrequently she attends church. But I guess it just comes back to you. She gives me a smile as I pass communion to her.

The Sermon is fine. It is on point with their beliefs but nothing about it makes me feel judged or ashamed of my own beliefs. The minister seems to be wrapping up-

"Easter is indeed a special time of year. The Easter message is one that gives us all hope and gives us a timely lift.  
We all have our difficult moments. We carry burdens, darkness, hurts, pain and disappointments. We're not on our own, every single person carries these. But the Easter message reminds us, that right in the middle of them, there is a promise of new life, new beginnings and a sense of hope and promise. Without Easter we would have absolutely nothing but with Easter we have indeed everything."

He prays one more time and then says "Go with God" and the choir starts to sing, while everyone else starts to shuffle out of the pews.

Scott had asked us to stay until the church is cleared, so we stay in here to say our goodbyes to Sean's and Bella's families.

"So, you're going to send us the baseball schedule, right?" I ask Aidan and Liam.

"Yep. Dad said we might have a tournament in Maryland this year." Liam responds.

"As long as we make the same team." Aidan qualifies the statement. He looks a little nervous.

"We always do!" Aidan laughs. He's the more confident one.

I really hope they do. It would be fun to watch them play.

"Are you coming here for the 4th of July?" Conor asks.

"I don't know. I was thinking that maybe you could come visit us."

Conor's eyes light up. I've been thinking that even if the whole family can't visit maybe he and Anna could.

"Me too!" Carly says. I'm not quite as certain about having her without her parents. But I'm not going to tell her that right now. So I just give her a goodbye hug.

"We'll figure something out. I don't want to go too long without seeing you guys!" I really mean it. I don't know if we'll be able to travel this summer, but I really do like spending time with Donna's family.


	17. Chapter 17

"How was your trip?" Helen asks me as soon as I walk into the residence at 7:15am.

"It was great to see my family, but I don't know what I was thinking leaving town right before this event!"

The Easter Egg Roll is a huge tradition. Even though the Office of the Social Secretary did the majority of the planning, I think Helen and I are both feeling a little stressed. Josh even held Senior staff at 6 this morning so we could go over everyone's schedule for today.

"Our flight was delayed and we didn't get home until almost 11!" I'm not going to fly commercial for the rest of this pregnancy if I can help it. At least on Air Force One I can lay down.

Helen looks me over. "Are you feeling okay this morning? How's the morning sickness? Do you have a warm coat? It's cold out there."

I can't help but laughing at her a little. "Did you and Josh coordinate questions this morning? Are you going to compare answers later? I feel okay right now. The morning sickness is getting a little better. Car rides and plane trips still are not that great though. I do have a warm coat, a scarf and gloves."

Helen laughs too. "Sorry, but soon you'll understand the irrepressible urge to Mother everyone you know too."

"Well, then, how did Josh get this way?!"

"I don't know. Josh Lyman is still a bit of an enigma to me."

At least now she says that in a positive way. I think eventually Josh and Helen really will be friends. In the meantime, I need to get us out of friend mode and back into work mode.

"So, Mrs. Santos, do you have any questions about the agenda for today? Are you ready?"

"I think I'm good. I've gone over my remarks several times. I don't have to be anywhere until 7:45 am right?"

"Right, The first thing is Miley Cyrus singing the National Anthem. Then, you'll give your opening remarks from the Truman Balcony. "

"Peter and Miranda are so excited to meet her. Hannah Montana is their favorite show!"

"I'll bet they are!" That will be a really cute photo-op too. Annabeth is over the moon.

I glance down at the internal schedule. I've got the master list on a clipboard that I can't let out of my sight. There are three stages over at the Ellipse with rotating performers. We don't want anyone to know in advance which shows Peter and Miranda are going to watch. They are scheduled to watch Miley's set at 9am.

There are also two "reading nooks" one over at the Ellipse and one on the South Lawn. We have a big line up of special guest readers. The schedule for those alternates so there ends up being a reader every 15 minutes through out the day in one of the spots. Josh is scheduled for 11. I can't wait.

"Okay. It's just about time. Let's get in position."

I watch from the room as Helen gives her opening remarks-

"Good morning everyone! I hope you are staying warm out there. In Washington, we know spring has arrived when the White House lawn is filled with children for the Easter Egg Roll, even when the temperature still feels like Winter!

The Easter Egg Roll is one of the happiest traditions here at the White House, and I'm so glad you could join us. First of all, I want to thank Miley Cyrus for performing the National Anthem! Wasn't she great?

We have a lot more activities planned, including, and of course, the famous Easter egg races and the Easter egg hunt. You'll see many special guests, like Miley, some of your favorite entertainers, athletes and characters, like Elmo and Shrek. You can meet your favorite animals, including, of course, the giant Easter bunny. And you'll hear some of your favorite stories read by very distinguished readers.

Speaking of which, I want to acknowledge the members of Congress, and the members of the President's Cabinet that are here.

Last but not least, thanks to all of the volunteers. Over 500 people have put in a lot of time, energy and creativity to make this all possible. Thanks to you all."

As soon as she's done, Mrs. Santos steps back into the room.

"Great job." I smile at her.

"I still hate public speaking."

"I know, but no one else can tell. You really are very good at it."

Helen makes a face at me. Sometimes I do feel a bit bad for her but changing the world involves some uncomfortable moments.

I glance at the clipboard.

"Okay. Let's get down on the lawn. The first egg races start in a few minutes. We'd like the whole family on hand for that. And I think Miranda is going to participate, right?"

"Right."

Helen and I hustle downstairs with the agents. We meet up with the rest of the first family at the door. I'm happy to see Josh is with the President. Josh will be in and out of the festivities all day. Like he said, "someone has to run the country!" There are plenty of people that can run the country for a day, but I understand what he means.

"This really is an odd tradition." Helen says as Miranda lines up with the other children to race pushing an egg with a giant spoon."

"Well, In the 1870s, Capitol Hill was a popular spot for children to roll eggs on Easter Monday. Eventually so many kids participated, it started tearing up the grounds. So in 1876, Congress passed a law forbidding the Capitol grounds to be used as a children's playground. In 1878, President Rutherford B. Hayes issued an order allowing any children to come to the White House to roll their Easter eggs. The tradition has been carried on ever since."

"I meant specifically about the spoons." Helen says.

"Oh, well, that became a thing in 1974, because the organziers didn't want to use actual White House silverwear."

"President Bartlet would be so proud." Josh whispers to me.

"Did you know the first year there was an official White House Easter Bunny was 1969?"

"No, I did not."

"Well, it was and now tradition is that the Easter bunny is always part of the current administration's staff, but the rules forbid the bunny from revealing his or her identity."

"Do you know who it is?" Josh asks me.

"Yes, I could tell you but I'd have to kill you."

Josh laughs at me. "You know I have code word clearance, right? I'm pretty sure I'm authorized to have this information. Besides, I bet I can figure it out."

"Okay, tell you what. Let's make a little bet. At the end of the day, you tell me who you think it is, and I'll tell you if you are right."

"Oooh, What do I get if I'm right?"

"What do you want?"

Josh looks me up and down, then wiggles his eye brows. "You, in a playboy bunny costume!"

"Okay. But if you don't guess it you have to have a serving of carrots with every meal for the rest of the week!"

"Game on, girlfriend!" Josh gives me a kiss on the cheek. "I've got to head back to my office for a little bit until it's my turn to read."

"I get to meet Hannah Montana, I get to meet Hannah Montana." Miranda is chanting the whole way as we are heading toward the Cottontail Stage.

"Her name is really Miley Cyrus, you know." Peter admonishes Miranda. "I hope you don't embarrass us."

Helen gives him a "be nice to your sister" look.

The set only lasts about 15 minutes. The songs are catchy. Both Miranda and Peter sing along loudly along with the rest of the crowd during "The Best of Both Worlds."

"That's the theme song." Helen tells me. I had never heard of Hannah Montana before today, but apparently it's a new show on the Disney channel. From the looks of this crowd, I'd say it's going to be a big hit.

When the set is over, we're escorted to Miley's tour bus. Miranda is practically vibrating with excitement. She gives Mile a big hug.

"Hannah Montana! I love you. You're a really good singer!"

Peter gives Miranda the evil eye.

"I told you," he hisses, "her name is really Miley."

"It's okay, Peter." Miley tells them, smiling. "I'm still wearing my Hannah costume. That makes it hard for people to know who I am. I'm sure you guys understand, right. Sometimes, you are sort of performing, as the First Family, and sometimes you're just yourselves, hanging out as a family, right?"

"Yeah. That is right!" Peter says grinning.

"Would you guys like to hear my new song?"

"YES!" Miranda practically screams. Helen chuckles.

Miley picks up a guitar and sings-

 _Everybody makes mistakes_  
Everybody has those days  
Everybody knows what, what I'm talkin' 'bout  
Everybody gets that way, yeah!

 _Nobody's perfect_  
I gotta work it  
Again and again  
'Til I get it right

 _Nobody's perfect_  
You live and you learn it  
And if I mess it up sometimes  
Nobody's perfect

She has a really nice voice and she seems like a sweet kid. I hope she stays that way. I glance at my watch. It's almost 9:30.

"We need to get going. Mrs. Santos needs to be back on the South Lawn to read by 10."

"I want Miley to come see my room!" Miranda announces.

"Maybe Miley can see your room after lunch." Helen tells Miranda. There is a lunch buffet for the special guests. Miley will probably be ready to eat after her 11:30 set, so the timing should work out.

Miranda and Peter are happy campers as we head back toward the South Lawn. They are doing a good job smiling and waving and shaking hands with people as we head toward the reading nook. When we get there I'm glad to see a large group of children waiting to hear the story.

Helen reads "Duck for President," by Doreen Cronin, a cute tale of a duck who gets sick of farm chores and decides to run for office. I definitely want to get a copy for the little Bean.

When she's done, the President and Peter head back over to the Ellipse. Peter wants to meet Mary Pope Osborne. He loved the Magic Tree House series. He's going to listen to her and her husband reading "American Tall Tales" for a while, and then watch some of the shows on the magic stage. I think Peter is really looking forward to some time with his Dad.

Helen and Miranda stroll around the South Lawn. Miranda's still young enough that she enjoys seeing all the characters and doing all the activities, like egg decorating. This is a total win-win. The kids are having fun and these are great photo opportunities. This is really the first that Helen has allowed them to be in the public eye, but it feels very natural.

At 11, Helen, Miranda and I end up back in front of the reading nook to watch Josh read Arthur Meets the President, by Marc Brown. He actually gets a little help from Arthur himself, who put his hands on his hand and shakes it, when Josh reads about the note cards blowing away. Miranda and the rest of the children laugh when Josh shows them the picture of DW hanging upside down with a copy of Arthur's speech. We'll definitely have to pick up a copy of this book too.

When he's done Josh looks really pleased with himself. I think he's happy to have discovered that he really does like kids.

"Good job, Babe." I give him a quick hug. "Are you hanging around here for a while?"

"I can't I've got to get back, we are monitoring some troop movement in Kazakhstan. With the President out here all day, I really want to stay on top of this. I'll try to come back to listen to your story, but if I can't, you can always read it to me in private wearing the bunny costume!"

He gives me a quick kiss and starts to head back inside.

"Pretty confident you're going to win the bet, are you?" I call after him.

"I'm highly motivated!" He shouts back.

Mrs. Santos, Miranda and I continue to circulate through the crowds. Just after noon, we head in to lunch. When we get to the door Sarah Armstrong, the Social Secretary, grabs me.

"Can you do the 12:30 reading? I just found out that the Secretary of Commerce is running late."

"Of course!" Thank goodness Sarah has my book with her. I've practiced "If You Give A Mouse A Cookie" by Laura Numeroff. Sarah also manages to get the Mouse character over to the reading area in time to join me. I really love the illustrations in this book. If Josh likes them I'd like to get some prints to decorate the nursery.

When I'm done, Sarah asks me if I can hang around and wait for the Secretary of Commerce. As long as he's here before 1, he can just take my original time. If he's not here, I'll read again.

After reading for the second time, I hurry to the Easter Egg Hunt, then after that I join Helen in saying goodbyes to several of the guests. Now we are heading back to the First Lady's offices for our post-game wrap up meeting. I wonder how Karen and Angela have been faring in the office all day without us.

We are almost to the office when everything starts to go black.

"Whoa." I stop and grab the wall.

"Donna?! Are you okay?" Helen's voice sounds really far away.


	18. Chapter 18

The President and I are just finishing our discussion of the troop movement in Kazakhstan when Ronna buzzes in. "Mrs. Santos is on line one."

I start to get up but he waves me back down.

"Hi Honey."

"Yes, he's right here." Matt makes eye contact with me and I don't really like the look in his eyes.

"Are you sure?" This half of the conversation is giving me a bad feeling.

"We'll be right over." I start to get up again and this time he doesn't wave me back down.

"Yes, I'll try."

"What is it?" I ask as soon as he hangs up.

"Donna fainted."

"Where is she?"

"Her office."

I'm out the door without waiting for permission. Matt is right on my heels. When he calls out, "You don't have to run, she's okay!" I slow down to a brisk walk instead of a sprint.

"What happened?" I look at Matt and the agents. It seems like they should have heard something over their ear pieces.

"I'm not exactly sure. Helen asked if you were with me. Then she said "Donna "kinda fainted" but she's okay. When I asked if she was sure she said the Doctor was on his way to check her out."

So he doesn't know that she's okay! I start to jog again.

"I'm supposed to try to keep you calm!" He starts to jog with me.

"Is this normal?" I ask him.

"Well, no, I normally jog outside, in exercise clothes, not inside wearing a suit!"

I give an exasperated sigh. I'm trying not to freak out, but I'm freaking out and he's cracking jokes. Somewhere my brain is trying to tell me that if he's joking it's not a big deal, but it's a very small voice compared to the one screaming "HURRY! There's something wrong! FIX IT!"

When I burst into the room, Donna, the Doctor and Helen all look up at me with amused expressions. I am not amused.

"What happened?" I gasp out.

"We were on our way back to the office and I just started feeling kind of woozy. So I stopped and leaned against the wall. It was the strangest feeling, like being underwater, everything was muffled and then this blackness was coming from behind me and closing around me. But then Helen was in front of me and it all went away."

Donna takes a sip from a Gatorade bottle. I'm glad someone brought her something.

Helen takes over the story-  
"She was as white as a sheet. I thought she was going to pass out, but she didn't. So the agents helped her into the office, and we got her on the couch and called the doctor and you guys."

"I just took her blood pressure. It's normal." The Doctor says.

"Maybe you should take his." Donna gestures to me. Then takes another sip. I kind of want to scream. None of this joking is making me feel any better.

"Now, what's the last thing you ate?" The Doctor asks Donna, who suddenly looks away from me.

"I had some tea and a piece of toast." My eyes narrow.

"That's what she had for breakfast. At 5 am. And she vomited when she got here." I inform the room. It's after 4 now. Please don't tell me she hasn't had anything else to eat today.

"Donna . . . what did you have for lunch?" Matt asks gently. Good question, Maybe I'm just misunderstanding, she knows she needs to eat. There was a buffet, surely she found something to eat.

"I was busy." She says in a very quiet voice.

"Donna!" Helen says sharply. Well good. I don't have to be the only bad guy.

"I was on my way in to get something from the buffet, but then they needed me to read and then the rest of the day just slipped by!" Donna says a little defensively.

"It's really no excuse." I tell her. "You have to take care of yourself and the baby."

Donna's eyes start to well up and now I feel like a jerk.

The Doctor gives Donna's hand a little squeeze. "Okay. I'm not too concerned here. Donna's not having any cramping. Feeling light-headed is not uncommon at this stage of pregnancy, especially if she's having a hard time keeping food and liquid down. Donna, I'd like you to try to drink at least 3 bottles of water before you go to bed tonight. We also need to get some nutrition in you. Are you keeping the multi-vitamin down?"

"Yes, when I take it before bed. But I forgot last night because I was sick when we got home. I just wanted to go right to bed."

"Do you get sick every time you travel?"

"Pretty much."

"Okay. Then, I'd like you to make sure you drink at least 2 bottles of water after you get home. I'd like you to try scrambled eggs, and some toast with peanut butter for dinner. That's protein that's pretty easy on the stomach. Then take the vitamin before bed. Follow up with your OB, but I think if you can keep that down, she'll probably be comfortable waiting until your next appointment to see you."

"Any questions?" The Doctor looks between Donna and me.

"Shouldn't she eat something right now?"

"Well, honestly, it kind of depends on when you are heading home. If you're leaving it the next half hour, I'd suggest just waiting. It sounds like she's not going to keep it down long if she eats now. I'd rather have her eat something when it will do more good. As long as she keeps drinking that Gatorade, she can go a little while longer without dinner.

"Anything else?" He asks.

Donna shakes her head no. He squeezes her hand again. "Call me anytime. I'm just down the hall." He heads out the door and I move closer to Donna.

"I think you should stay here tonight!" Helen announces. "You can use the COS room in the residence and I can have the chef fix dinner for you."

"I don't know . . ." Donna hesitates.

"Well, as your friend I'm asking you to stay. As your boss, I'm giving you a choice. You can either stay in the residence tonight and see how you feel tomorrow or if you go home you have to take all day off tomorrow."

"But, I wasn't in the office at all today." Donna starts to whine.

"It's up to you." Helen says firmly "but one way or the other, we are avoiding two car trips. I can tell you've been losing weight. You need to start keeping more food down or you're gonna end up in the hospital. I can't have that."

Helen Santos might be my new best friend! This is a great solution. Donna doesn't have to eat take out or smell any food cooking in the house. And she can sleep in tomorrow, and I can still check in on her. If she stays home it's going to be difficult. I don't want to leave her there with just her agent, but things are a little too fluid in Kazakhstan for me to take the day off.

Matt is smirking at Donna. I think he knows that his wife is going to get her way on this.

"Okay. We'll stay here." Donna finally says.

"Great. Let's get you up to the residence. Since you are staying, you can have something to eat now, and then with any luck you'll be able to eat again later." Helen's in full Mom-mode now. "I'm cancelling our 4pm meeting today. I'm going to send the rest of the staff home. They've had a long day too. I'm sure Ned's ready for a shower." Matt and Helen step out of the room to talk to the rest of the staff.

Ah ha! Ned. Thanks for that little piece of information Helen. I think I just won our bet.

"Do you want me to go with you?" I ask Donna. The truth is Matt and I do have a little business to finish up. Then I could run home and get us some clothes and things for tomorrow. If Helen and Susan are watching out for Donna and with a doctor in the building, I'm willing to let her out of my sight for a few hours.

"No. I really am fine Josh." She looks a little surprised, and actually kind of pleased that I'm willing to let her go on her own.

"Okay. I'll go finish up in the office, then I'm going to run by the house. I'll give you a call so you can give me a list of what you need."

"Okay. Just grab me some work clothes and bathroom supplies. Oh and some pajamas too. And maybe the baby name book. And my pillow. I'd like my own pillow."

I give her a grin. I'm definitely going to call when I get to the apartment. That was quite a list.

"I love you. If you start to feel sick again call the doctor right away and have someone call me, okay? I'll be there as quick as possible."

"Oh I know you will. That reminds me. Helen owes me $5."

"Why does Helen owe you $5?"

"I won the bet about how long it would take you to get to my office after she called Matt."

"Speaking of bets. . . Ned Carlson!"

She looks shocked. Her mouth drops open. She really didn't think I'd guess. I lift her chin gently and place a light kiss on her lips.

"Don't worry. I'll take a rain check on the costume."


	19. Chapter 19

I put a smiley face in the box on the chart taped to the refrigerator and sigh a little. In the week since the "non-fainting" incident as I like to call it, Josh has gone a little around the bend.

First, he insisted that I call the OB and see if I could be seen. He was happy that she was happy to accomodate us. But neither of them were happy when it turned out that instead of gaining 3-5 pounds, I've actually lost 8.

He took notes while she talked about optimal eating plans for healthy weight gain. Then he made a chart. Then he taped it to the refrigerator. Then he bought me stickers. To put on the chart. If I eat healthy meal. What am I five?

I thought it was kind of cute at first. He was pretty excited to show it to me. I went along with it, placating him, until yesterday. Lazy Sunday at home. We had a late breakfast so I wasn't really hungry at lunchtime. We were just sitting around reading when he got up and went to the kitchen and came back with a giant spoonful of peanut butter.

"Here. You haven't had anything to eat in 3 hours. The Little Bean needs some protein."

When I started to protest, he'd used the no-nonsense voice on me, "Just eat it, Donna."

At least I got some revenge out of it. I'd licked the peanut butter off that spoon very slowly and with great care. Josh was practically a pile of goo at my feet by the time I was done. Then he'd declared nap time, but we didn't actually get much sleep. He's just lucky that I like peanut butter.

Helen is only a little better. She checks up on me too. She thinks the chart is cute. Josh definitely earned bonus points with her. They are both already driving me a little wacko and it's only been a week.

I need an ally. I may have to enlist the services of the President of the United States. Perhaps an executive order banning the mention of morning sickness, healthy eating plans and peanut butter! Or maybe I can get him to make a state visit somewhere and take them both with him.

As I'm contemplating my options, Josh comes back into the kitchen. He checks the chart and smiles at me. His whole face lights up. Damn him.

"I love you so much." Why does he have to be so cute? And so earnest?

"Yeah, I love you too." I mumble into his neck as he hugs me.

"Ready?" He asks as he grabs the cooler. Instead of just a bagel with cream cheese, he's started packing me all sorts of healthy snacks. Hard boiled eggs, cubes of meat and cheese, peanut butter and crackers, apples, baggies of almonds, granola bars. I could open a convenience store in my office. Of course, that doesn't stop him from making sure that I also get a bowl of soup at lunch and a healthy dinner after we get home.

"Yes dear." Let's do this. I've discovered that it actually feels better if I've eaten before I throw up anyway. So even though this first breakfast is just an exercise in futility, I go through the motions.

At the end of Senior Staff, I get my customary kiss on the cheek and head to my office. We've gotten into a routine and its working. We are closing in on the first 100 days and we have some things to show for it. Mrs. Santos had a successful whistle-stop education tour, the President has had a couple of small initiatives passed in his education platform, we successfully confirmed a vice-president and Kazakhstan hasn't erupted into full out war. It really feels like we've got a handle on things.

At 9:30, as my staff meeting is wrapping up my blackberry buzzes, as does Annabeth's.

"There's been a shooting at Virginia Tech. Two deceased. Possible domestic dispute." Annabeth announces to the room.

"What a shame." Mrs. Santos says before we get back to our long-range planning discussion. There is a state dinner on the far horizon but it's a big deal.

About twenty minutes later, Annabeth knocks lightly and enters my office. Helen and I are still talking about the state dinner stuff, and I'm having my single cup of coffee for the day.

"There have been more shots fired at Virginia Tech. An email alert went out saying that there is a gunman loose on campus. It's an on-going situation."

"Oh my god." Helen exclaims.

"I need to find Josh!"

He's my first thought. Gun violence is already a sensitive topic for us. Josh hasn't had a panic attack in a long time, but a shooting on a college campus while he's so focused on education reform might be triggering.

"Annabeth, keep monitoring the news. I'm going to head over to the West Wing. I'll keep you posted if there will be any official statements. I'm sure Bram is going to get questions at the next briefing."

"I'm coming with you." Helen stands up too.

Helen has walk-in privileges for the oval office, and that's probably where Josh is, but I head to his office first anyway. Margaret always knows what's going on.

"I'm glad to see you." Margaret greets me, standing as she sees the First Lady. "He's in the oval."

"How's he doing?"

"He froze for a split second but he's holding on . . . I'm sure he'll be really glad to see you."

"Who else is in the oval?"

"POTUS and some senior staff."

As we head through Josh's office, I have an idea. I check his top drawer. Sure enough his bracelet is there. I tuck it into my hand and follow Helen through the adjoining door.

As soon as I walk through the door I look for Josh. I need to see him, to know that he's okay. Hearing about a shooting doesn't leave me in the best frame of mind either. Sam is getting to his feet and Josh is following suit. I can only see the back of his head until he turns.

The look of relief on his face is enough to make me cry. I want to walk straight into him so he can wrap his arms around me and we can support each other. But this is the oval office and it's not the place for that.

I'm glad when he moves to a couch so that Mrs. Santos can have the chair opposite of the President. I sit down very close to him and take his hand. I need the physical contact. I also use the opportunity to slip his bracelet to him. I smiles softly and we hold it together between our hands.

"What do we know?" I ask the room generally.

Sam looks at Josh briefly, then responds. "Bram just left to check for further information. At least two fatalities, a male and female in a dorm room. Initially reported as a domestic dispute. Several hours later reports of shots fired in classroom buildings."

We all sit silently for what seems like a long time. I'm trying not to think about anything.

When Bram comes back into the room, we can immediately tell that it's not good news. He doesn't hestitate.

"At least 21 fatalities, 28 injured, some criticial. The local authorities are holding a press conference at noon."

"oh my god." Helen exclaims again.

I feel frozen. How many of those are college students, possibly still teenagers. When are their parents going to find out? I remember exactly how it feels to be told that the person you love has been shot.

" _Josh was hit. Yes, it's critical_." I can hear Toby's words reverberating in my head, it's sort of a swooshing sound.

"Donna?! Donna?!" It's Josh's voice breaking through. When I look at him and see his eyes, I just want to weep for the families, but I am so incredibly grateful that Josh is here. He's holding my hand. He's okay.

"Are you okay?" He looks worried. OH! He's worried about me.

"I'm okay." I try to smile, to reassure him. But I'm so incredibly sad. 21 more people killed with guns. When will it end?

"What do we do?" Bram asks.

"You'll get questions in the next briefing. 'The White House is monitoring the situtation and our thoughts and prayers are with the victims and their families.' Then once details are confirmed and reported by local authorities you can share those." Josh responds.

"There will probably be some sort of memorial."

"We should attend." Matt nods agreement with Helen's comment.

Sam stands up. "I'm going to check in with Lou and Otto. They can begin drafting some remarks."

"Good idea, Sam." The President responds.

I stand up. I need to do something. "I'll go call Annabeth and make sure she's staying on top of the information as well. Then I'll call Ron and have him start an advance team." Helen nods to me.

Josh stands up as well. "Do you need anything else, sir?"

"Not right now. Please let me know when you get more information."

I'm really glad when Josh follows me out of the room. As soon as the door to the oval office closes, I turn and fall into his arms. I just want to hold him and never let him go. Are we crazy bringing a baby into this world? How are we ever supposed to let our children go to college? I won't want to let them out of my sight.

Josh holds me for a few minutes. Then he says-

"You call Annabeth, I'll call Ron. Then we need to get something for you to eat."

"I'm not hungry. How could I possibly eat?"

"Donna, you _have_ to."

Once I'm done talking to Annabeth from Margaret's phone, I take a seat on the couch. Josh is still on the phone with Ron. Nothing's been set yet but Josh thinks that the President and First Lady will end up visiting the campus tomorrow. Blacksburg is only about 4 hours away. It will be a quick trip on Marine One.

When he's off the phone Josh joins me on the couch. This is what I really need, for him just to hold me for a little while.

A few minutes later Karen comes in with some soup and some snacks from my office. Josh must have called her while I was talking to Annabeth.

"Thanks Karen."

"No problem. Have you heard anything else?"

"I'm afraid so. It looks like the total fatalities is going to rise. There are several critically injured."

"I'm so sorry to hear that."

"Me too."

"I'll head back up to the office. Do you need anything else?"

"No. I'll check back with you in a little while."

After Karen leaves, I look at Josh.

"Can we talk about something else for a few minutes? Anything else at all. It's the only way I'm going to have any hope of getting any food down."

"Baby names?" Josh asks tentatively.

"Alright. Give me a girl name and I'll give you a boy name. Remember, this is just brain storming, not necessarily a final answer."

I take a spoonful of soup while he thinks for a moment.

"Gabriella?"

"I'm not a fan of Gabby as a nickname."

"What about Brie or Ella?"

"Why not just name her Ella then?"

"Ella Lyman? I don't hate it".

"Put it on the list."

"Will Bella think we're naming the baby after her?"

"Take it off the list." She absolutely would think that and I'm not doing it.

"Your turn, give me a boy idea."

This is really hard because I'm pretty set on my top three boys names: Noah, Jacob and Leo. But they are already on the list so I need something new. But not necessarily something he's going to love.

"What about Hadley? That's kind of cute."

"Like the former Speaker of the House, member of the unholy trinity?"

"I said Hadley, not Haffley. But point taken."

So that got us nowhere. It's okay, our hearts weren't really in it. I can't help but wonder what names we're about to see on a list. Will that make me love those names or hate them? I wonder how Molly will feel about her name someday.

Josh and I fall back into silence while I finish my soup and he eats some cashews.

At one o'clock the President joins us to watch Bram's press briefing. Another student has died.

"Helen went back to the Residence, Donna. She said that you can join her there anytime you like. If you need her for something just call." The President stands up and walks back into the oval office.

"I guess I'll go up to the Residence?" I realize that came out as a question. I don't really know what I'm supposed to do. Luckily Josh seems to understand.

"If you feel like you can handle it, you should go staff the First Lady. You stay on top of the information and give it to her if she wants it. At some point, we'll get some language for her to look over in case she'd like to speak tomorrow."

He looks at me carefully. "If you don't feel like you can handle it, you can stay here on my couch. I'll do as much as I can from here and I'll call Sam in to Staff the President."

"I'm okay. I'm mostly numb now. I just needed to spend some time with you. I'll head up to the Residence."

I walk over to Josh for one last fortifying hug. When I finally pull back, he kisses my forehead. Then he takes my hand and slips his beads over it.

"The President and I will be up to the Residence by 6pm. I know things seem bleak right now, but I'm going to do everything I can to make this world a better place for our children."

I know he will and that thought is enough to get me through the day.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This work was published on a different domain on the anniversary of the shooting. My intention is for it to be a reminder and a tribute. We need better gun control laws in this country.


	20. Chapter 20

BaBoBaBoBaBoBaBoBaBoBaBoBaBo

I'm staring at a little screen, watching our baby. The feeling is indescribable. The soundtrack to this show is our baby's heartbeat. It's amazing. I'm overwhelmed.

"Are you crying?" Donna squeezes my hand.

"No . . ." I sniffle and wipe my nose with my sleeve. And she laughs at me.

"Oh my god, Donna. It's just incredible."

"Are you going to cry every month?"

"I'm not crying." My eyes are just watery, that's all.

Dr. Andrews is smiling. She takes the thingy away from Donna's stomach and the amazing sound of our baby's heart beat stops. I'm disappointed. I could listen to it all day.

"Everything looks good. Heartbeat sounds great. A solid 150 beats per minute. That's average."

"Average?"

"Within the normal range."

"Right." I'm sure our baby is going to be extraordinary, not average.

"And you haven't lost any more weight, Donna. That's great."

I smile to myself. The chart is really working out well.

"How's the morning sickness?"

"Well, being in the car longer than a few minutes still makes me nauseous but I'm not throwing up every single time anymore."

"That's good. And you're taking your vitamins every day?"

"Yes. Josh monitors that very well."

Dr. Andrews smiles at me again.

"Anymore dizziness?"

"No just that one spell."  
"Well, it's not uncommon, but I would like you to keep track of it if it starts happening more frequently."

"Okay."

"Alright then. The nurse will give you the paperwork to take to the lab and set your appointment for next month. There is a chance we could find out the gender next month, so the two of you should talk about that. Decide if you want to know in advance or be surprised at the birth."

"Any questions?"

Donna shakes her head no. I've been reading the What to Expect Book and I don't think I have any questions this month. Next month I'll have a bunch, I'm sure.

Once Dr. Andrews leaves the room, Donna gets up from the exam table.

"Ugh. My belly is sticky. Can you get me another paper towel?"

I grab a couple and wet them at the sink.

She reaches for them.

"No, Let me." I start to wipe her belly gently. "Hey little Bean, it's Daddy. Good job today. Everything is looking good."

Donna smiles at me. I don't think she minds it when I get a little goofy. I can't help it. I'm just so happy!

Donna finishes getting dressed and we head out to the lobby. I give Phil a thumbs up sign, which he acknowledges with a smile.

"So, we've got the rest of the day off. What should we do?"

"Josh, it's Friday at 4:30!"

"Yep! Dinner, Dancing? Mocktails? You name it, baby!"

"Well, Peter and Miranda invited us back to the White House movie theater."

"What's playing?"

"Firehouse Dog."

"Is that what you want? A movie with the kids?"

"Not really. Maybe we can do that tomorrow afternoon."

"We could go to Iota."

"Let's see if Sam and Ainsley want to join us!"

"Ooooh, adult date night. I like the way you're thinking."

"You know, that reminds me we still haven't called CJ and Danny. We're at 12 weeks now. We should do that."

"You know who else we haven't told . . . the Bartlets."

"I know. I've been trying to think of a way to tell them in person. But we need to do it soon."

"Let's call Charlie. Maybe he'll join us at Iota. Maybe he'll know if the Bartlets will be in town anytime soon."

"Okay." Donna says as she leans her head back. We're almost home. I hope she can make it. I kind of hate to take her back out in the car again. But she did seem really excited about going out as adults to do something fun.

"I'll call Sam now. Just close your eyes for a minute, we're almost home."

"Hey Sam. You and Ains up for Iota tonight?"

"Sounds good to me. Let me check with the ball and chain and get back with you."

"You know in my experience it's better not to call them that."

"Duh, Josh. She's not in the room."

"We're thinking 7. I'll get a table. Shoot me a text and let me know."

"kay."

Once were in the apartment, Donna heads towards the bathroom. It's a fifty-fifty shot whether or not she'll vomit. I'm really hoping for the not. In the mean time I pick up the phone.

"Hey CJ."

"Mi amour! Calling on a Friday at 4:45? You haven't lit anything on fire have you?"

"No, but we do have some big news."

"You don't say?"

"You didn't happen to run a pool about when I'd manage to knock Donna up did you?"

"Get out of here! You guys are pregnant?"

"Well technically just Donna, but I contributed!"

"That's great! Hey Danny! Josh is on the phone he has big news."

"Hey buddy. What's up?"

"I'm gonna be a Dad."

"That's great. Donna's the Mom, right?"

"Very funny, Fishboy. Hey it's CJ again. Put Donna on."

I hand Donna the phone and then walk into the guest room. Maybe I can get ahold of Charlie.

"Hey Charlie, it's Josh."

"Hey man. It's been awhile. How are you guys doing?"

"You know, first 100 days, things are a little crazy."

"Actually, I wasn't there for the first 100 days but I can imagine."

"Oh, that's right. It just felt like you were always with us, but you didn't start until half way through the second year. So what have you been doing with yourself?"

"Well, since Law School doesn't start until the fall, I decided to get a joint JD/Masters in Foreign Service degree. So I've started taking the Foreign Service classes."

"That's awesome, Charlie. Spending any time in Manchester?"

"Yes, quite a bit. But Zoey is actually down here this week."

"That's fortuitous! We were calling to see if you wanted to join us at Iota this evening. It would be great to see the squirt again too."

"Hold on a second, please."

. . .

"Zoey says yes, she's williing to be seen with you since you married so well."

"Excellent! We'll meet you there at 7pm."

"Sounds good Josh."

When I walk back into the living room, Donna is still happily chatting with CJ.

"That sounds amazing. Well, once you're back I hope you'll come here and meet the little Bean."

"Yes, Claudia Jean is a great name. I'll discuss it with Josh."

"Bye CJ, love you."

"Claudia Jean?"

"Yeah, CJ said to let you know that she'd be honored if we want to name the baby after her."

"What if it's a boy?"

"Claude John, I guess." Donna says laughing.

"Are we putting either of those on the list?

"God, no."

"Ok good. And great news! Zoey and Charlie are meeting us at Iota, too."

"Great! You'd better call ahead for a table."

I'm a little nervous taking Donna all the way to Arlington, but she looks so excited. She's got these amazing skin tight black pants on and her top sparkles. She flipped her hair up into some twisty thing and put lipstick on. She looks ready for some fun. I don't look half bad myself. She had me change out of my suit and into jeans, but paired it with a button down shirt and blazer. I've never much cared what I'm wearing, but I do love having Donna dress me.

"So, did you have a nice chat with CJ?"

"Yeah, they'll be going to Africa this summer. A trip to sort of get the lay of the land so they can start working on spending Hollis' money. She said they'll come visit us after the baby's born."

"She was just kidding about the name, right?"

"Yeah, I'm sure she was."

When we get to the club Donna's looking a little green. We'll need to sit here a few minutes before we get out. I'm sure Kevin appreciates the chance to go sort out the arrangements anyway.

Donna keeps taking deep slow breaths.

"Aw man, I'm not going to make it." She grabs one of her bags and starts to puke when the door opens and Zoey slides in, followed by Charlie.

"Hey guys! OH gross!"

She looks from Donna to me to Donna.

"Normally, you're the one that gets car sick. But not for a 20 minute ride. What's going on?"

Zoey's not stupid. Both of her sisters have had babies. I think I almost see the light bulb when it goes off.

"Does this mean . . .? Oh! Please tell me you're pregnant!"

Donna's done, so I hand her the box of Altoids that we keep in here. She pops a few then smiles at Zoey and Charlie.

"Yes. And the little Lyman already likes to be the center of attention." Donna smiles fondly at me. What can I say? It's my kid.

"That's so exciting! When are you due?"

"November 7" I tell her proudly.

"Heh. So basically, election day." Charlie smirks "I can't wait to see how that plays out for you."

"The due date is just an estimate, Charlie. Really any time two weeks before or after is considered normal." Wow, Zoey really does know a lot about babies.

I have thought about the due date more than once. It's a good thing this is an off-year. Even a couple weeks before the Presidential or mid-terms would be an insane time to have a baby. But with just local elections and the odd special-election, this year won't be a big deal.

Kathy opens the door. "We're ready for you inside."

"This is going to be fun!" Zoey says. Charlie scoots out the door with Zoey and Donna right behind him, and I bring up the rear.

Kevin leads us to one of the large booths against the wall. Sam and Ainsley are already seated. This is an amazing table. We never would have scored one of these before. Of course, we never called ahead before either.

"Who's playing tonight, Cynthia?" Donna asks the manager as she walks up to greet us.

"Toby Lightman."

"Really?"

"Yes, she's working on a new album. Happened to be in town and agreed to play one night for us. You guys picked a good night to be here."

This is great. Good friends. Good music. Good food. Speaking of which, I hand Donna a menu. I already know I'm getting a burger and fries. I wonder if she'll let me have a beer?

"Have you told my parents yet?" Zoey asks as she steals another one of my fries. Between these girls, I should just order a basket.

"We're planning on calling them tomorrow. I just had my 12 week check-up today."

"They're going to be thrilled, you know. They really think of you two as family."

"I wish we could tell them in person. But Donna's not really that keen on traveling right now."

"Do you want me to lure them away from the Farm? I could get them tickets to the Kennedy Center or something. I think the Reykjavik Symphony is playing soon. You know how my Dad loves them." That gets a laugh from all off us.

"I mean, we'd love to see them, but we'd better just call them tomorrow. I don't want them to hear it from anyone else." Donna decides.

"So what are you up to, squirt?"

"I think I'm going to go back to school."

"Oh yeah? Where? I think Toby's going to take a job at Columbia."

"I'm leaning toward Nitze. If I get in."

"International Studies? I'm sure you'll get in. Where are you . . . Oh! Are you thinking about moving in with Charlie?"

Everyone at the table stops talking. Zoey blushes a little.

"I think that's great, Zoey." Ainsley says. "Living together before we got married has been good for Sam and me."

"My parents might not tend to agree. They . . ."

"They prefer to think of you as a little girl? You'll always be their baby, Zoey, but I'm sure they'll understand." I reach around her and give her a little side hug.

"Easy for you to say," Charlie mutters "he didn't threaten you with the 82nd Airborne."

"Ha! That's what you think. He's very fond of Donna."


	21. Chapter 21

"Ready for this babe?"

"Let's do it."

I hit the button and the phone starts ringing. I wonder which of the Bartlets will answer.

"Bartlet residence."

"Hi Dr. Bartlet, it's Donna, Josh is with me too. We have you on speaker."

"Donna! Josh! It's so good to hear from you guys."

Then we hear her move the phone away from her mouth and holler " Jed! Josh and Donna are on the phone."

Then she's back- "You guys are doing really well there. The education reform seems to be picking up steam. Of course, we saw you on the news at the Virginia Tech convocation. Terrible, just terrible what happened there. But President and Mrs. Santos did a fine job. I'm sure thanks to the two of you. Oh Jed's here now. Let me see if I can put you on speaker. Call me right back if I hang up on you."

Josh's eye are sparkling and he's trying not to laugh at their antics. We hear a few buttons being pushed then.

"Hello? Are you there?"

"We're here, sir." Josh says.

"Hey, kid. I told you to call me Jed now."

"Yes, sir."

"You're not going to, are you?"

"No sir, but I have been thinking about a new name for you. What do you think about Zayde?"

There's silence for a moment. Josh starts to look concerned. Finally, he asks,

"Do you know what that means?"

"It's Yiddish for grandfather." The President answers slowly.

Then Dr. Bartlet puts the pieces together.

"Joshua Lyman! Are you saying what I think you're saying?"

"Yes, Ma'am. Donna and I are having a baby. And we we're wondering if you'd like to be honorary grandparents. You don't have to use the Yiddish names, of course. I mean, since you aren't Jewish or anything."

Now Josh is rambling. I know he's a bit nervous about this. Part of him still doesn't believe that the Bartlets think of us as family.

"Oh Josh! We'd love to be honorary Grandparents and your baby can call us whatever you like!" Abbey is gushing. And now Josh is grinning like a little boy.

"I think I'd favor Grandpa Jed and Grandma Abbey. Maybe then you'll start using our first names too."

"We'll see, sir." Josh chuckles.

"Donna, dear, how are you feeling?" Abbey wants to know.

"Well, I'll admit its been a little rough."

"Imagine that. The little Lyman causing problems, that's shocking." The President chuckles. Josh shakes his head but seems to accept that it's good natured teasing.

"How many weeks along are you?" Abbey's still on the logistics.

"It'll be 13 weeks on Monday." I tell her.

"Oh good. Well, hopefully the nausea and fatigue will ease up. You'll probably feel like you can conquer the world. Just remember to take it easy."

"I will."

"Josh, are you taking good care of our Donnatella?"

"Yes, sir, I am. I even make dinner sometimes."

"Good boy." Abbey praises him and his ears turn a little pink. It's kind of cute. I might have to jump him after this phone call ends. I've got to say, I'm feel a lot more amorous recently.

"So when are you two going to come up here and visit us at the Farm?" The President sounds a little wistful. I wonder if he's bored with retirement.

"Well, we'd like to but traveling is still kind of hard on Donna, and you know, it all depends on the state of the world at any given moment. Maybe we can think about Memorial Day?"

I'm really not ready to think about a trip again anytime soon. That flight on Marine One was one of the worse things ever. Maybe they'll come here, so I ask "Will the two of you becoming here anytime soon? You know how you love DC during the Fourth of July, Mr. President."

"Well Donna, you are right about that. But we'll have to wait and see. But since we are going to be honorary grandparents, we'll definitely be visiting in November." The President pauses for a minute then says "You know, Josh, you'd better start calling me more often, especially if this baby is a daughter."

"Yes, sir. I'm sure I will."

"Alright then, we'll let you get back to running the country. Don't stay at the office too long today."

"Yes, sir."

"Congratulations, Donna." Abbey calls out. "You call me if you need me."

"Yes, Ma'am."

As soon as we hang up, I look at Josh- "how'd they know we were in the office?"

"Just an assumption, I guess. Do you even have anything to do here?"

"Not really. But what else would I be doing on a Saturday morning? What do you need to do today?"

Josh gestures to the stack of briefing memos. "A couple hours of reading. Then we can head over to the Residence for lunch and the movie."

"Sounds good to me."

"Does it really?" He asks, some what perplexed.

"Yes. I just like to be with you."

"Well, I have an idea." Josh picks up a stack of memos and sets them on the table next to the couch. Then he sits down. "Why don't you join me over here?"

"Excellent plan." I lay down on the couch and put my head in his lap. He starts combing his hand through my hair.

"Comfy?" Josh asks me.

"Yes."

"Okay, then. This memo is from THE ADMINISTRATOR OF THE NATIONAL HIGHWAY TRAFFIC SAFETY ADMINISTRATION. He's recommending that the White House sign The Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007. This law would mandate that, as part of the Nation's efforts to achieve energy independence, the Secretary of Transportation prescribe annual fuel economy increases for automobiles, beginning with model year 2011, resulting in a combined fuel economy fleet average of at least 35 miles per gallon by model year 2020."

I could listen to Josh talk all day, about anything. Right now, though, I'm just going to close my eyes for a few minutes while I do.

"Donna?"

"Um-hmm?"

"Are you going to open your eyes for this conversation?"

I don't know. Do I need to? I breathe in deeply and evaluate. Yes. I do need to open my eyes, because I need to go to the bathroom. Did I fall asleep? Where am I exactly?

I open my eyes and I'm staring up at Josh. He's smirking at me.

"Good morning beautiful."

"Is it morning?" He laughs at me and it makes me smile. It's one of my favorite sounds.

"Actually, it's almost noon. Peter and Miranda are expecting us for lunch shortly. Then the movie. Remember?"

Okay. Yeah, it's coming back to me.

"I need to pee."

"I figured. Why don't you go to the bathroom and I'll pack up my bag."

When I come back out of the bathroom Josh is waiting for me with Phil and Jackie. As we all head towards the Residence, I mention something to Josh.

"We might need to go shopping. Either on the way home or tomorrow." He groans. He really doesn't like shopping.

"Did we forget to put something on the list? Is something we really need right away? Can't we just order it?" He's being a little whiny. I'm thinking he needs some food. Maybe I should wait for this conversation, I'm not really that excited about it myself.

"My pants are just getting kind of tight. I thought I could look for something stretchy. But you don't have to go. I'll ask Helen or Ainsley to go with me sometime next week."

"No. I want to go!" He really does look happy, but also a little stunned. "Really? Your pants are getting tight? But you haven't gained any weight."

"No, but I think my waist is getting thicker." I frown. I'm not really feeling good about getting thicker. I thought I'd have some cute little bump for people to ooh and ahh over, not just that my pants would be too tights.

Josh stops and grins at me. Then he picks me up and spins me around once. "You are gorgeous. I can't wait to buy you some new clothes. Let's stop on the way home. Then tomorrow we can have naked Sunday and you can NOT wear them!" He wiggles his eyebrows making me laugh.

Maybe it doesn't matter if I'm getting thicker. Maybe I'll even have a little bump soon.

"Okay, but first I'm totally dying to see Firehouse Dog!"

"Donnatella Moss Lyman." Uh oh. It's the voice. He leans right next to my ear. "What did I tell you about lying?"

Oh my god. I'm not going to make it to the end of the day. It's like some switch has been flipped. I think Helen was right about the second trimester. I wonder if we can sneak up to the COS bedroom instead of watching this movie.

"You know, you might want to fake some enthusiasm too. I think Peter and Miranda are really excited about this movie."

"Well, if it's too boring I'll just nap or fake a national emergency."

"Come on, even if it isn't a great movie at least we'll be together. And by the way, I want some popcorn and junior mints."

"First you need to eat a healthy lunch, young lady."

"Yes, sir." I grin at him. We'd better scale this banter back for the next couple hours or we are going to end up in trouble.

"Tio Josh and Tia Donna are here!" Peter calls as soon as we come up the stairs. He's obviously been watching for us.

"Oh good! Time to eat." Matt comes out of the living room and heads towards the family kitchen.

"Tio Josh, sit next to me!" Miranda pulls out a chair.

Josh smiles at her and takes his seat.

"Need any help?" I ask Helen. She's got 6 grilled cheese sandwiches on an electric griddle. She seems fine, but it's polite to offer.

"Sure. Can you put the tomato soup into bowls?"

This is a great lunch. I think she's doing a great job keeping some things normal even here in the midst of this lifestyle. Sure they have amazing bedrooms, and a movie theater and a bowling alley in their house, but they'll also remember their Mom making grilled cheese sandwiches.

"I hope I'm as good of a Mom as you." I tell Helen as we're putting the food on the table.

"You're going to be a Mom?!" Peter whispers.

"Are you having a baby?" Miranda practically shouts.

Oh. I just assumed they knew. I hope Matt and Helen aren't upset with us. And I really hope we don't get any questions about how this happened. But, Josh puffs up a little just like he does every time someone finds out that he's procreating. It's actually quite adorable.

"Yes, Tio Josh and I are having a baby."

"I want a GIRL!" Miranda exclaims. Peter wrinkles his nose but doesn't comment.

"Well we don't know whether the baby is a boy or a girl yet." Josh tells her kindly. "And we don't get to pick."

"And we'll be happy with either." I add. "We like both boys and girls." I look back and forth between them.

"Okay, finish up your lunch." Matt tells the kids. "We don't want to be late for the movie."

"Daddy!" Miranda rolls her eyes "they won't start without us!"

Yep. Not quite a normal childhood, but I think they'll be just fine.

When we are finally in the car, Josh says "well that's an hour and fifty-one minutes of my life that I'm never getting back."

"Josh! You slept through most of that movie. Do you even know what the dog's name was?!"

"No! They kept changing it. It wasn't even a cute dog. Don't tell me you liked it?"

"No, it was pretty bad. I'm pretty jealous that you got to nap through it. I shouldn't have taken a nap in your office earlier. But I guess It's probably good that one of us stayed awake."

"Well, thanks for taking one for the team. Now, want to go shopping?"

"Do you really want to go? I know you hate shopping. And if we are just having Naked Sunday tomorrow anyway, I don't really need new pants for that."

"I really do. I'm over the moon that you're cooking our baby in there." He rubs my stomach gently. "I can't wait until everyone can tell just by looking at you. And I want you to have new clothes that make you feel like a million bucks, because you're worth so much more than that to me."

"Oh, Josh!" I start to sniffle. Sometimes he says the most amazing things.

"Can we go to a store that has a pillow you can strap on so we can see how you'll look fat?"

And then sometimes I just want to beat him.


	22. Chapter 22

Note to self. Do not tell Donna that you are excited to see what she'll look like fat.

Turns out that there isn't even a maternity store in Georgetown anyway. But the ladies at Loft have improvised a fake tummy and Donna is standing in front of me in a cute dress looking pregnant. I can't stop smiling.

"Yes! Let's buy this one for sure!"

"Josh, you've said that about everything I've tried on so far."

"Yeah? Well, you look fantastic!"

The sales ladies seem to think I'm the greatest, but Donna actually doesn't look pleased, maybe it's got to do with the fat comment? She doesn't look fat, she looks really cute. I'm so excited to see her baby bump for real. I can't even begin to describe how I feel about the fact that she's got my baby in there. But right now, I need to figure out what's wrong with Donna.

"What's the matter, baby?" I walk up and wrap her in my arms.

"I don't know. I don't think I'm ready to buy a whole new wardrobe. I'm not even really showing yet."

"Okay." I want her to feel good about herself. This is supposed to be fun. But I would also like her to get something comfortable to wear to work. This pregnancy has already been hard enough. There is no reason for her to try to squeeze into pants that are too tight.

"Well, why don't you get those black pants, and that stretchy dress. That'll give you a couple pieces to work with and you can get more later if you want."

"Okay." She gives me a kiss. "Thanks."

I still don't know what was wrong, so I don't know if I fixed it. But she seems in a better mood. So maybe a little banter will keep things moving in the right direction.

"Anytime." I lean down and whisper in her ear, " You know I think when we get home I need to examine every inch of you to see exactly what's changed in the last 24 hours."

She perks up. "Okay, but I think you have to buy me dinner first."

It's only about 4 o'clock but if she's happily talking about eating, then I'm ready now too. "Wisemiller's Deli?"

"Yep."

"You got it baby. Should we stop on the way home and pick it up or just have it delivered later?"

"Let's get it now. Then we don't have to answer the door later. We might even be able to get a head start on Naked Sunday."

Well, I'd say things are definitely moving in the right direction. We're so close to home we could actually walk to the deli and avoid any chance of car sickness.

As soon as the sales clerk finishes ringing us up and I sign the receipt, I turn to Donna.

"So do you want to walk to the deli?"

"Yes, that's a good idea. I feel like I've just been laying around forever. It'll be good to get out and get some fresh air."

I'm glad Phil and Jackie are on duty right now. They are the best at going with the flow and really the most personable of our agents. When I tell Phil our plan he just says "of course, no problem."

The car creeps along beside us as we walk, but still this is nice. Donna's smiling and holding my hand. Life is good.

"God, I love you so much!" I tell her, planting a kiss on her as we walk.

"So while I was watching that terrible movie, I was thinking about names again." Donna starts out.

"Oh yeah? What did you come up with?"

"What do you think of Jamie for a girl? It's close to Joanie and sort of naming her after my Dad too. Which might make my Mother happy even if it's not the Italian thing."

"Jamie sounds too much like Amy."

"Good point. What about Josie?"

"Reminds me of Leo McGarry's sister."

"Janie?"

She looks a little discouraged. Maybe I'm shooting these down too fast. But I'm sensing a theme here and I really don't want anything that sounds like Joanie. Besides I already have my favorite girl's name. I just have to bring Donna around to it.

"What's that short for? Janel? I do like Janel. But I think Nelly is a cuter nickname."

She wrinkles her nose at that. Maybe I should make some other suggestions.

"How about Valentina?" I offer.

"You're kidding right? Please tell me you are just kidding."

"I'm just kidding."

The guy at the deli laughs at me as I pay for dinner. I bet he thinks I'm whipped. He's right, I am. But I really was just kidding about Valentina. And it made Donna laugh so it worked.

"How about Francesca?"

"Frankie? No thanks."

"Aurora?"

"Like sleeping beauty?"

"Okay. I didn't make that connection. I just thought it was pretty."

"I think we really need to get away from the names ending in the "ah" sound. I think you're channeling my Mother." Donna announces as we walk through the doors of the Brownstone.

"I'm not. I just really _do_ like your name. I want to find something like Donnatella to name our daughter. It's soft and pretty. I like how it rolls off my tongue."

"Oh." Donna says softly. "That's very sweet."

"And I like that it's unique. I don't want there to be fourteen girls with the same name as the little Bean in her kindergarten class."

"Okay. You can put Aurora on the list."

I take the list off the fridge so I can add "Aurora," smiling to myself as I read my favorite name above it. _Leonora._ It's just perfect. But maybe I should add one of Donna's ideas too?

"Do you want me to add Josie to the list?"

"Does it really remind you of Leo McGarry's sister?"

"Yeah."

"Then no."

I put the list back on the fridge, and put the food inside. The nice thing about cold sandwiches for dinner is that we can wait. Maybe work up an appetite first.

When I walk into the bedroom, I find Donna laying naked on the bed. I love it when we are in sync.

"You said something about examining every inch of my body earlier?" She says in a husky voice.

"Yes! I did."

Where should I start? The top of her head or the bottom of her feet?

"Hold on a second." I hear a little huff from her as I leave the room. She claims to be the patient one, but she isn't always.

I walk back into the room holding a jar of lotion. "Is this scent okay for you right now?"

She smiles brightly at me. "A massage? Yes, that's a good one."

I contemplate whether to get completely undressed myself. I want to take my time with the massage and both of us naked is less conducive to going slow. But I am ready to ditch the jeans. So I take them off and sit down on the end of the bed. As I pick up one of her slender feet she starts giggling.

"That's a good look on you." Donna gestures at my sweater and boxer shorts combo.

"You're just a mouth full of wiseass. Do you think that's a good idea right now?" I ask tickling the bottom of her foot. She shrieks a little and tries to pull it back but I've got a good hold on it so I give her a little more punishment, watching her squirm and giggle while I tickle.

"Okay, I give." She pants, after a few minutes of the tickling, grinning at me. Her whole body is flushed. Oh my god, she's so beautiful.

"So you want to try again on the comment about my clothing?" I ask her playfully.

"You are a handsome and powerful man no matter what you are wearing."

She smiles slightly, giving me a smoldering look. I'm close to skipping the massage and just jumping her right now. But good things come to those that wait.

I smile back at her and start to rub her foot. She sighs softly and settles back against the pillows.

I rub her foot in silence for a few minutes, before switching to the other one. I love all the words we share, but I also cherish the moments like this. For so many years, we had to use words because we were limited in the amount of touching we could do. Now that I can touch her as much as I want, I don't need quite as many words.

I finally break the silence to ask- "Are you warm enough?" As much as I love looking at her naked body, I don't want her to be chilly.

"I'm okay." She says immediately, but I notice that her nipples are tightly puckered and she has goosebumps on her arms. I'm not sure if that's just arousal or if she's cold and not telling me, so I'm not going to take any chances.

I place a gentle kiss on her stomach. There's no bump yet, but it's not completely flat anymore either.

"Roll on to your stomach." I instruct her in my no-nonsense voice. I know telling her what to do in that tone of voice will turn her on, plus that will give a chance for her front to warm up while I massage her back. When she rolls over, I'm rewarded with a very nice view of her magnificent ass. I can't help but rub it lightly first, then moving up her back to her shoulders. I really am checking out every inch of her body looking for the subtle changes.

Her hips might be slightly wider, and perhaps her waist is a little thicker, but really, it's hard to tell. I run my hands over her calves and up the backs of her thighs firmly massaging her muscles. Eventually, she parts her legs even further with a little moan. I know where she's dying for me to touch her.

"Getting impatient?" I chuckle.

" _Josh_ . . . _come on_." She whines.

I smirk to myself then lean down and use my no nonsense voice again and speak softly into her ear- "Are you sure you want to be whining, while your bare ass is right here?" I rub it lightly again, "I still haven't given you a spanking." She looks back at me over her shoulder. Her eyes are absolutely burning with desire.

Alright, then. I've about run out of patience too. And, I'm certainly not going to spank her. There are much, much better ways to touch her.

Later she's laying in my arms, with her head on my chest. I'm running my hand over her hair.

Donna looks up at me, she's grinning and her eyes shining. "God, that was amazing. You are the best."

It's her. Doesn't she know that? It was never like this with anyone else.

"I love you." I tell her simply. Maybe that is the difference. I never feel like I'm just going through the motions with her.

"I'm kind of hungry." Donna says softly. Well that's music to my ears.

"Let's eat."

She gets up, snatches my boxers and puts them on. Naked Donna is amazing but something about seeing her like that is so much more profound. It's more than just a turn on, it feels right. She can have everything I own. I wouldn't withhold anything from her. She belongs here. In my bed and in my clothes. Great, now I'm thinking poetically about my boxers! I wonder if I can blame pregnancy hormones too?

I grab a fresh pair out of the drawer and join her in the kitchen. I definitely worked up an appetite. When I get there Donna has everything laid out on the table and is sitting there half naked. Great food and a great view. What more could a guy want?

Not long after dinner, we're back in bed. I know she's going to end up falling asleep before I do, so this is a good place to read. I've got some memos and Donna's looking over the baby name book again.

"Jack!" She suddenly shouts enthusiastically, looking up at me.

I stare at her a minute trying to decide if she's serious. It looks like she is.

"I'd rather not name my son after your Ex-boyfriend."

"Oh. I forgot about him. I was thinking about JFK."

She looks appropriately sheepish. She forgot about him. Let's keep it that way. I lean over and give her a long kiss.

When I'm done, I go back to reading my briefing memo. But a second later, she drops the book, pulls the memo out of my hands, and rolls on top of me. She's kissing me aggressively as her hand slides into my boxers. God. I love these second trimester hormones.


	23. Chapter 23

I'm sitting at my desk when I hear a tapping on the window. No way. I slowly swivel my chair so I can look. There is a small white bird pecking at the glass. I can't even believe it.

"Stop it." I can't help but admonish the bird. I'm not surprised when it keeps tapping. "Stop it." I say again smiling a little to myself. So much has changed. I put my hand on my stomach and mentally correct myself, _is changing_ , but some things are the same.

I try to get back to my reading but the bird keeps tapping, so I get up and go over to the window. "Stop it. You are going to hurt your beak."

"What the hell are you doing?" Josh asks from behind me.

I immediately turn towards Josh and block the bird from his view. But he peers around me. "Is there a bird tapping at your window? You've GOT to be kidding me." He chuckles.

"What are you going to do?" I ask him.

"Nothing, Tippy Hedren, it's your office."

"Really?"

"Well, yeah. I mean, unless you want me to do something."

The bird taps again. "Stop it." We say together. Then we both laugh.

"Wow. Deja vu." Josh says, then he holds up a couple bags. "I brought lunch.

"Great. I'm starving. What do we have?"

"The usual."

Josh starts pulling things out of the bag and putting them on the conference table. A bottle of water, garden salad, and a cup of chicken noodle soup in my spot. He's got a burger and fries in front of him. It looks really good. Really, really good. It smells good too.

Josh takes a big bite of his burger and chews it slowly. After he swallows, he says "what's the matter? You're not eating."

I look down at my soup and salad and then look back at his burger and fries.

"Oh, nothing." Sighing a little I pick up my fork and take a bite of the salad. Man, that burger looks good. At least I'll steal a few fries.

"You wanna switch?" Josh offers.

"No, this is great."

Laughing, he takes a fry then slides his food over in front of me, taking the cup of soup for himself.

"You have a terrible poker face. Give me the spoon."

Once I hand it to him he starts to eat the soup. God, I love him. I push the salad in front of him too, and then take a big bite of the burger. It's amazing. And Josh is eating healthy. This is such a win-win.

"So what are you working on?" He asks in between bites of salad.

"The First Lady's remarks for the Mother's Day Brunch for the Women of Congress."

"You're writing those?"

"Well, Helen and I have talked and I'm writing the preliminary draft then we'll send it to Edie for a polish and I'm sure your office will review it. Correct?"

"Yes. And we want to tie it to the renewal of the Child-Care Tax Credit."

"I've got it covered. Although, Mrs. Santos wants her remarks to be affirming to women whether they use child-care or stay-at-home. She's had enough of the "Mommy Wars." You know, she still doesn't see herself as a "working mom."

"What are the "Mommy Wars?" Josh asks.

"It's the disagreement women have with each other over the best way to be a Mom." I use air quotes around the word "best."

"How so?"

"Oh, you know, it's the debate over whether or not it's better to stay home with the kids or keep working, or whether to breast feed or its okay to use formula, public vs. private education vs homeschooling. And a whole bunch of other issues like vaccination, organic food, the amount and type of television, when to start foreign language."

"Congress has been having those debates for years."

"Yes, but it's the debate on a personal level- friend to friend- and it's not just a healthy debate it becomes personal, and sometimes feels judgmental. For example, while we've been talking about the speech, Helen asked me what I'm going to do for child-care once the little Bean gets here. And instantaneously I felt worried about what she was going to think of my decisions- not as a boss but as a friend."

Josh is silent a minute. I'm not really sure he gets it. I mean, I'm sure he understands the debate topics, but I'm not sure he gets how judgmental we women can be towards each other. Finally he says-

"What are _**we**_ going to do about child-care." It was a statement not a question, and he's emphasizing the word we, I'm not really sure why.

"What?"

"You said what **_I'm_** going to do about child-care. Helen should have asked what "WE" are going to do about child-care. This is my baby too. It's not all on you, not the decision what to do, and not the actual doing."

"Okay." Sometimes enlightened Josh does make an appearance and I'm really glad that I married a liberal.

"Anyway, do we need to start talking about that already?"

"Well Margaret says the good day cares all have really long waiting lists. So yeah."

Josh grimaces when I say day care. "I don't really want to dump the little Bean into day care."

Well. So much for enlightened.

"You know I plan to keep working, Josh. I just got this job. I can't quit after less than a year."

"I know. I just don't like to think about our kids in day care all day. Maybe I should quit. Like I said, We're both responsible for giving our children the best possible up-bringing and I'm not sure being in daycare 10-12 hours a day is what best for our kids."

Really? He'd think about quitting? I never expected that.

"Are you really ready to be done less than a year into the Santos Administration?"

"No." He says it softly. It does make my heart soar to know that he'd sacrifice what he wants to accomplish professionally to do what he thinks is best for our family. I feel a little twinge of guilt because I'm not there yet. I don't think it would be best for our kids for either of us to give up our professional goals.

"Actually, Helen had an idea. You'll never guess what it is."

"Well then you'd better just tell me."

"She offered to watch the little Bean for us!"

"Like, every day?"

"Yes. I could bring the baby here and Helen's nanny could watch the baby while her kids are in school and Helen's down here working, then Helen will watch the baby once she goes back to the residence."

Josh frowns at that. I thought he'd like the idea.

"Donna, the First Lady can't be our nanny."

"Why not?"

Josh stops and thinks for a minute. This is one of the things I love about him. He frequently has strong instincts and they often are right but he's willing to stop and consider the different angles.

"Part of it is probably just optics, and honestly I'd need to think that through a lot more. But we might also want to consider whether or not we'd want a friend watching our kids even if that friend wasn't the First Lady. I think this decision is bigger than one day over lunch."

"Yeah, that's probably true. Maybe we should find some time to tour a couple of daycares and see how they work and what we think."

Josh grimaces again. Wow. He really doesn't like the day care idea.

"Okay. But I'd like to consider the Nanny option too." He pauses a minute then continues, clearly he's thinking out loud. I love it when he does this. "Maybe part of Helen's idea could work. Maybe we could have a full time Nanny, but bring the little Bean here. We have the COS bedroom on the third floor. The Nanny and baby could be there during the day. We could come in and go home together, and we could all have lunch together. You'd probably be able to nurse longer."

He's really smiling now. I can tell he's really warming up to this idea. It's not that far from what Helen was suggesting, so maybe it really would work. And he probably loves the idea of the baby being in an armed fortress every day.

"Okay." I take his hand and give it a squeeze. "Like you said, we don't need to make this decision right now. I am going to do some research on daycares AND Nannies. We'll figure out what's right for us."

He smiles back at me, full dimples, and I know that we really will.

"You know, there's something else we haven't really talked about."

"What's that?"

"Do we want to know whether the little Bean is a boy or a girl before the birth? Dr. Andrews said that they might be able to tell at my 16 week appointment."

"That's what the book said too. Did you know most of the time they don't do an ultra-sound untll 18 or 20 weeks? Usually they can tell then."

"Yes, Dr. Andrews said that because of my 'advanced maternal age' she's going to do one every month. But they'll do 'the big one' at 20 weeks."

"You're not that old!" Josh responds to my comment. "Maybe they should do one because of MY advanced age."

"You're not that old either."

"I'll be in my sixties when the little Bean graduates high school."

"Yeah. It'll be okay. I'm really glad you are taking better care of yourself. Like running on the treadmill and eating that salad. It really means a lot to me. I want you around forever." I kind of feel myself choking up. These hormones can swing either way pretty quickly.

Josh leans over and kisses me softly. "I can't promise forever. But I can promise I'll do whatever it takes to be here as long as possible."

"Thank you."

"Okay, back to finding out the gender. What do you think? I want to know as soon as possible, but I don't want them to tell us the wrong thing. And I don't want to tell anyone else and have it not be right."

"Yeah, that makes sense. Talking to my family, it seems like most of them waiting on the first one but wanted to know on the second or third. Except Finn and Julie. I guess they knew for both but didn't tell anyone."

"Oh. That's kind of sneaky. I kind of like it. But you didn't say whether you want to know or not."

"I'm not sure. I kind of like calling the baby the little Bean instead of he or she. And I kind of like talking about names without the pressure of knowing what the gender is. I definitely don't want them to tell us the wrong thing and start planning for a boy or girl and then have it be the opposite. I'd be happy with either I don't want to end up feeling disappointed because of a mistake."

"Good point." Josh glances down at his watch. "I've got to get back for a meeting. Guess we'll have to talk about this more later, but for now it sounds like we are leaning toward being surprised when the little Bean gets here."

Josh gets up and comes around to my side of the table. He puts his hand on my belly while he gives me a goodbye kiss. "Be good for Mommy, little Bean" he whispers to the baby then he walks out the door.


	24. Chapter 24

"You look gorgeous!" I tell Donna as she comes into the kitchen wearing a bright red dress. She twirls for me and her skirt flies up around her. I feel my heart rate go up as I get a glimpse of her bright pink panties.

"Don't do that in public!"

"Josh," she laughs at me, "I stopped doing that in public by the time I was in First Grade."

"Oh, okay. . . you could do it again for me."

Donna grins at me walks toward the living room and spins again. I follow her, pull her into my arms and slip a hand up the back of her skirt. "They're silky." I groan.

She leans into my ear and whispers, "I could go commando today if you like."

"God, no. There's no reason to go into the office on a Saturday if I can't accomplish anything because I'm too busy thinking about what you're not wearing under your dress."

She gives me a long passionate kiss. When she's done she says, "Well, we should go."

"Go? Where?"

She laughs. "The office, our jobs. Then we have the Twin's Cinco de Mayo party. But we should be back here in, I don't know, about 12 hours and then you can take this dress off me."

"Twelve hours?" She's killing me here. I have to think about this for 12 hours?

Once we're in the office it helps a little that she has things to do today too. I love having her with me, but I've got a long list of phone calls and a couple of meetings in addition to my normal stack of memos. I really do need to be able to focus. In fact, I'll be working through lunch.

"Your 1 o'clock is here." Margaret buzzes me.

"Okay, send him in."

"Obi Wan." Ryan greets me with his usual smirk. It suddenly hits me that it's a very flattering nickname he's given me. I didn't do right by him the first time I had him under my tutelage.

"My young Jedi. Have a seat." He grins at the title, as I gesture toward the table.

Once we are settled I look him in the eye. "So how are you settling in to Legislative Affairs?"

"Good. It's been a busy 6 weeks."

"The first 100 days always are. Not that it's necessarily going to slow down. If anything it's actually going to ramp up now that the confirmations are over."

"I'm up for it."

"Good. How's working with Amy?"

"I'm getting the hang of it. She's got her favorite causes but she does a good job at dividing the work load among the legislative assistants."

"And she sent you here on the Child-Care Tax Credit renewal."

"Well, she's not a fan of the Wendt Stay-at-Home Mom amendment."

"No, I imagine not."

"She said something about the Mamie Eisenhower era."

That makes me chuckle. I said the same thing four years ago.

"And I already had some experience with this particular bill."

"Yes, you did."

I'm sure we are both thinking back to when Ryan corrected me in the oval office. I was livid at the time. But he was right. And the Child-Care Tax Credit, including the Wendt Amendment ended up being good legislation.

"So, how are the JTC scores this time?" Ryan runs through all the numbers. I'm impressed. He knows his stuff. I'm glad he's on my side.

As we are wrapping up, Donna comes into the office. The minute I see her, my mind goes to the pink panties. Yep. It's a really good thing she worked in her own office this morning.

"Ryan!" Donna greets him excitedly. "I don't think I've seen you since the inauguration."

"Donna. It's good to see you. You look fabulous. I, um, heard you were expecting. Congratulations."

Donna laughs. "Yes, thanks. We're very excited. Are you guys wrapping up? Josh and I need to get going soon."

"We're done." I tell Donna. Then I turn to Ryan, "Thanks for coming in on Saturday to go over this. And thanks for being so well prepared. You're doing a good job. I'm glad you are working for us now."

Ryan's eyes light up. I really under-estimated the little twerp the first time. I don't plan to do that again. He's definitely an asset to the administration. And he definitely responds better to praise.

"Um, wow, thanks." He hesitates for a moment. "You know, you didn't strike me much like the parental type, but I think maybe you're a different guy than before." He looks over at Donna and smiles.

"Well that's enough touchy-feely for today." I give him a little clap on the back. "Get out of here."

Ryan shakes his head. "Maybe not a _completely_ different guy." He says under his breath as he leaves.

It takes another fifteen minutes to gather all our things and get out the door.

I'm a little concerned about the car ride out to Takoma Park. Donna's been doing much better with the short trip between the office and the Brownstone, but this will take about 30 minutes.

"How are you feeling?"

"I'm good."

"Did you have some lunch?"

"Yes, I still had some meat and cheese cubes in my refrigerator. Plus there will be food at this party."

"Explain to me again why we are going."

"Because Toby and Andy invited us."

"But it's a kid birthday party."

"Yes. We're going to have one of those. This will be good for us to observe."

"But Toby and Andy don't know that we're having a kid."

"No, and this will be a good chance to tell them."

"But why'd they invite us?"

"Josh, it's probably not just a kid's party. I'm sure there will be adults there too. You did really well with Molly and Huck last time we visited. And you're great with Marco. Why are you so nervous?"

"Well, I like those kids. But some kids are just little jerks."

Donna laughs. "Yes, let's make sure we don't raise one of those."

"Okay."

Toby answers the door with a gruff, "welcome to hell" as he gestures us in. Donna laughs.

"Is it really that bad, Toby?" I ask him.

"You're going to want a drink, I'll get you both a drink."

"No thanks." Donna says as her hand drifts to her belly protectively. Toby, ever astute, recognizes the gesture for what it is. A huge smile comes over his face.

It makes me grin too. Might as well confirm his suspicion. "We're having a baby."

"Mazel tov!" Toby embraces Donna gently. Then turns to me with a half hug. "Really, this is quite excellent news. The world needs more kids that aren't raised as little jerks."

We follow Toby through the house and into the kitchen. On the way, I notice colorful paper fans hanging from the ceilings, large paper flowers, a banner across the fireplace and striped table clothes. Now I see why Donna chose that dress this morning.- She fits right in.

The kitchen is filled with food. And men. It looks like all the Dads are in here.

"We'll be right back." Toby mumbles as he walks through the sliding door to the backyard. All the Moms and kids are out here. In the corner of the yard, there is a mariachi band playing. A bunch of small people wearing sombreros are standing in front of the band, yelling and shaking maracas. They seem to be having a good time.

"About that drink?" Toby looks at me. And I look at Donna.

"One beer." She responds to my unasked question. Better make it last.

Andy spots us and comes over. "Hey guys. Thanks for coming." She gives each of us a hug. "Huck! Molly! Uncle Josh and Aunt Donna are here."

I'm a little surprised at the titles. I sort of figured we might get to that point eventually, but this is only our third visit since inauguration. Huck and Molly run up smiling so I guess it's not a big deal.

Donna "awwws" over their costumes. They are both wearing serapes and fake mustaches along with their sombreros. Toby mumbles something about cultural insensitivity, and Andy shoots him a look. Well, its a little cliché, but they really are too cute. Donna gives each of them a hug then they run back to their dance party.

"Come on." Toby motions to me and I follow him back into the kitchen. The mariachi band is much more tolerable from in here. Toby hands me a beer and introduces everyone. Other than one congressman, I don't know anyone, but I can handle this. It's really not much different than mingling at a fundraiser.

Nearly an hour goes by and then the door opens. Donna leads a line of little people toward the bathroom.

"What are we going to do?" She chants.

"Wash our hands!" The line of little people answers.

"When are we going to do it?"

"Now!"

The chanting continues as they make their way down the hall. I feel my jaw drop a little. I've seen her with her nieces and nephews, but she's always been the fun aunt. I've never seen her take charge. I knew she'd be a great mom.

Speaking of Moms, the rest of them come in and make plates of food for their offspring and head back outside to the tables. Once they do, the Dads start filling their plates and heading outside too. After about 15 minutes, Donna leads the now quiet line of children out to the back yard. I'm completely in awe.

"How did you do that?" I ask her when she comes back inside a minute later.

"They're all in preschool, Josh. You just have to speak their language."

"You're amazing!" I don't think I tell her that enough. I swear she really can do absolutely anything. We're alone in the kitchen so I pick her up and give her a twirl.

"Be careful," She laughs in my ear. "You don't want anyone to see my underwear, remember?"

Arrrrggh, she's killing me. I had almost put those pink panties out of my mind. I can't wait to get her home.

Andy joins us in the kitchen.

"Donna, thanks for your help! You're a natural."

"I did quite a bit of babysitting in high school."

"She's going to be a great Mom!" I announce placing my hand on her stomach.

Andy's eyes get wide. I guess Donna didn't already tell her.

"Josh! Donna! That's wonderful. When?"

"I'm due November 7."

Andy chuckles. "What is it about you guys and elections?"

I chuckle too. She's not the first one to make that joke, but hardly any of them know that it _is_ rather ironic. Donna's due date is the one year anniversary of the day we first made love.

Andy gives each of us a hug then grabs a pitcher of margarita mix from the refrigerator and heads back out to refill glasses.

When the kids are done eating, they play some games, open presents, and finish the party off with a piñata. They actually all wait patiently for their turns and then scramble for candy without any fighting. I smile as I watch Molly giving some of her candy to another little girl.

All in all, not a bad day. Still I'm still really glad when we are back in the town car heading home.

We're almost there when Donna starts muttering. "I can't, I just can't anymore. . ."

She's fiddling with the back of her dress. Then she reaches down the front. I try to sneak a peek, but she's like some contortionist. All I'm seeing is arms and elbows. This is fascinating. All of a sudden she pulls one arm in through the sleeve. And then she does the other. Then voila, she pulls her bra out. It's bright pink lace.

We're almost home, we're almost home, I chant to myself, trying to keep from jumping her here in the back seat.

Donna heaves a big sigh and my eyes go from the pink lace in her lap to her chest. There's suddenly a lot more cleavage.

"Wow! Did your breasts just get bigger in the last 5 minutes?" I laugh. This whole little exercise was pretty funny.

But Donna shoots me a glare and starts stuffing the bra into her briefcase as we pull up in front of the Brownstone.

The mood has definitely shifted away from playfulness. It's probably my fault. I try to remember exactly what I just said.

As we walk in the front door, Donna's near tears. This is happening a lot lately.

"My breast were too small before, weren't they?"

"No! They were perfect."

"So, now they're too big?"

I bite back a sharp laugh. Matt warned me about this. It's a no win situation.

She looks up, her eyes are almost brimming over. Which as always, stops me in my tracks. This isn't funny to her at all. She's struggling with the changes to her body and the hormones coursing through it. But if I blame the hormones, it will piss her off.

She's leaving the room but I can still hear her talking to herself under her breath.

"He always said they were too small . . ." WHOA! I never said that. Somebody else said that, and I've got a good idea who. Someday I'm going to kill that man.

I finally come to my senses and I follow her into the bedroom.

By the time I get there she's curled up on her side crying. It breaks my heart into a million little pieces.

"Oh, baby" I sigh, laying down next to her. I start to rub her back lightly, struggling for what to say. How do I make this better?

"So, you know how sometimes you go to the ice cream store and get a scoop of ice cream? You enjoy it and when you are done, you are completely satisfied, it was perfect, just the right amount. But then sometime later you go to that same store, you order the same thing but the scoop is bigger and you eat it all even though you weren't expecting more. And it's perfect too, just the right amount even though it wasn't the same size as last time."

Donna rolls onto her back and give me a disbelieving look. "Are you comparing my breasts to ice cream?"

"Yes. . . " I respond hesitantly.

"You really like ice cream."

"Yes, I _REALLY_ like ice cream."

"And they really are the right size?"

"They are the perfect size. And tomorrow if they are bigger that will be perfect for tomorrow, and if after the baby arrives they go back to the size they were before, that will be perfect for then."

"Well then, if you are very gentle you may have some ice cream. Because honestly, they are killing me and I can't decide if I want you to touch them or cut them off me."

Well, really, that's a no brainer.

I grab the bottom of the dress and start to slide it up her body, keeping eye contact with Donna the whole time, because if I get a glimpse of those pink panties now I'm going to lose focus. When I get it to her chest, I lift the dress carefully away and then pull it over her head. Once it's off, I lean down and gently kiss Donna's forehead, and then the tip of her nose, and then her lips softly.

Then my eyes leave hers and I look down so I can give some attention to the source of today's little meltdown.

"OH MY GOD, DONNA!"

A wide band of dark red skin wraps all the way around her ribs and under her breasts. There is a spot that looks like it could bruise. And her poor nipples, oh my god, they are so chaffed.

"WHAT THE HELL HAPPENED?" She's been with me all day. I'm so confused.

Donna bursts back into tears. "MY BRA IS TOO SMALL!"

"Oh, baby." I take a finger and lightly trace the red marks on her ribs. I'm not really sure what to do. Ice seems like a bad idea. Maybe just a cool cloth? Maybe a warm cloth? As I continue to gently soothe her skin, the red marks are starting to fade. Maybe it's just a circulation problem? Donna's tears have stopped again too.

"What can I do to help?" I finally ask her.

"That feels nice. Keep doing that. Just don't touch my nipples!" I wouldn't think of it, they look really painful. After a few more minutes, she sighs.

"The problem is I _DO_ want you to touch them. My brain is sending me very mixed messages here."

Mine too. But the loudest message is "Don't hurt Donna!" I continue my ministrations everywhere else. Finally, I have to ask what's on my mind.

"Why did you wear that bra if it's too small?"

She looks at me like I'm a little stupid. Which, I am, but I really don't understand.

"It matches the panties, Josh."


	25. Chapter 25

Josh's murmuring wakes me up. As I open my eyes I can see the top of his head down near my waist. The sunlight really highlights all the colors in his hair. There are still some of the auburn tones from when we first met, but these days it seems more brown. I smile as I notice a few gray hairs too. I won't mention those to him. He's already a little self-conscious of the amount of white hair in his stubble. It doesn't bother me at all. I think it's distinguished.

He's laying across the bed directly facing my belly and He's lifted my shirt. He's fascinated by the little bump that popped out this week. Unfortunately, that little bump is making it harder to find things in my closet to wear. I'm going to have to go shopping soon.

As a few more seconds go by, I realize that he is talking to the little Bean. Finally, part of it is loud enough for me to understand.

"And that's how a bill becomes a law."

Huh. I had assumed that he was showering my belly with words of love and affirmation.

"Did you just explain the legislative process to my bump?"

"No," he grins sheepishly. "I explained it to our baby. There are some studies that suggest that even though a baby can't hear exactly what you are staying in utero, they do recognize the sound of their mother's voice. I want the little Bean to know my voice too."

He's so sweet. And now that he's done talking, his hand is tracing little patterns across my stomach. It feels amazing.

After a few minutes, Josh looks up at me. "The little Bean is the size of a Peach now. Do you you think we need to call him something else?"

" _Him_? Do you have some sort of feeling?"

"No. I just don't like saying "it." The little Bean isn't an it."

"I think we can keep calling _her_ the little Bean. It's just a cute nickname." I smirk at him as I say it.

"Her? Do _you_ have some sort of feeling?"

"No. I'm just trying to give the feminine pronoun equal time."

He laughs then and starts placing tiny little kisses all over my belly. I'm getting very turned on.

"Mmmmmmm." I can't help give a little moan. It just feels so good. Josh looks up with a gleam in his eye. He knows what that sound means. We are both really enjoying the changes that have come since the second trimester began.

Josh hooks his fingers in the top of the boxers shorts that I'm wearing and slides them slowly down my legs. I reward him with another moan. I love Saturday mornings.

Later, I've just finished blow drying my hair when Josh comes up behind me and wraps his arms around me.

"Your hair looks really good these days."

It really does. It's the thickest and shiniest its ever been. This is another benefit of pregnancy hormones that I am completely enjoying.

Josh looks down at his watch. "It's 8:45. We should get going if you want to be there by 9."

"Yep. I just need two more minutes." I check myself over in the mirror. I think I am glowing. Finally. It feels good to feel good.

Once we are to the White House Josh gives me a quick kiss. "I love you. I'll probably still be in my office when you get back. Just give me a call or stop by when you are ready to go."

"Okay, love you too." I tell him as he walks away. I do love to watch him walk away. He _does_ have the cutest little butt in politics.

Once he's down the hall, I head up to the Residence to meet Helen. She's speaking at the Women in Congress Brunch today and I know she's still a little nervous. She really has no reason to be. She's a very good public speaker.

When I get to the East Sitting Room, she's pacing and muttering to herself.

"You look good." She's wearing a powder blue suit and her hair is up in a French twist. She looks very professional, but the light color gives a softness to her aura that a red power suit wouldn't have accomplished. Annabeth did a really good job of picking this outfit.

"You too. Your hair is amazing." Helen smiles at me. "How are you enjoying those second trimester hormones?"

I feel myself blush a little and she laughs. "Told ya!"

"Okay, unless you want to hear exactly how I spend my morning, we have time for you to go over the speech one more time if you like."

Helen raises one perfect eyebrow at me. I hope she doesn't call my bluff. She's got a wicked sense of humor and she knows I embarrass pretty easily. But her nerves end up trumping her desire make me blush.

She rolls her neck, stands up straighter, and launches into her speech. She's really extraordinary. She has a notecard in her hand but she rarely looks at it. I'm following along with a printed version. It's clear that she has the speech almost completely memorized and the few changes she makes are slight. When she's done I applaud.

"So, no teleprompter?"

"Do you think I need one?"

"It's totally up to you. If you'd rather just work from your notecard, we can put the binder with the printed version on the podium as a back-up. I think you've got it down. But there is nothing wrong with using the teleprompter if you'd like it."

"Let's go without."

"Okay, boss. Let's go."

We meet up with Annabeth, Amy, Edie and Lou at the portico and arrive at the venue fifteen minutes later. We are immediately seated on a dais. I'm a little nervous. This is only the second luncheon I've ever been to that I didn't eat in the kitchen. I'm not really sure exactly what to do. It seems weird to eat on a stage in front of people. But I'm starving. There's already a bowl of fruit at our places. Can I eat it now? Are we supposed to wait?

Helen's on my right, but turned the other way. She's speaking to Dottie Baker, who will be introducing her later. Amy's on my left but she's speaking to Annabeth, who is on the other side of her. I try to look out into the crowd to see if any one else is eating. It doesn't look like it. Most of the women are chatting with the people around them.

I look back down at my plate. Oh! There's a piece of bread too. It looks like banana nut. I'm so hungry. I wonder if I can just break a little piece off and sneak a bite. I look around furtively. Once I've convinced myself that even if it's not appropriate etiquette, I need to eat, I reach out with my left hand towards the plate.

Unfortunately, Amy reaches for her water at the same moment and I manage to bump her arm, causing her to slosh her water all over.

"Donna!" She hisses at me.

"Sorry, sorry." I mutter. Damn. I really want that bread.

"What's your problem?" She says matter of factly without any real heat. We have a strange relationship, Amy and I. We aren't exactly friends, but we aren't enemies either. And right now she's the only ally available to me.

"I'm starving! When can we eat?" Even though I'm whispering, it still comes out slightly whiny.

Amy raises an eyebrow at me. I give her a 'please take pity on me' look in response. Finally, she does. Maybe she realizes that I really have no clue about these things.

"It's fine. You can eat your bread now. No one will think it's odd. In a few minutes Carol Gelsey will give a general welcome. Once she's done, everyone will start on their fruit while the wait staff starts bringing the main course. Generally, if you're seated out there, you don't have to wait until everyone at the table has their food since it's a luncheon. Wait until at least 2 people have been served, then someone at the table should say "please go ahead." But since we are at the speakers table, we'll all get served pretty quickly. We'll have about 20 minutes to eat and chat, then Mrs. Baker will introduce Mrs. Santos, then she'll speak. We don't eat while the First Lady is speaking, and most of the audience will stop eating as well."

"Thank you." I tell her sincerely, reaching for the bread again, that was really nice of her to clue me in on how these work.

Amy gives me a toothy grin. "The Sisterhood has to stick together. Did I ever tell you about the time I set the table on fire while Abbey Bartlet was speaking?"

"Oh no! Was she furious? Did she threaten to fire you?" This is basically my biggest fear. That I'll do something stupid and Helen will realize I have no business being her Chief of Staff.

"No, actually, that's when she made me her Chief of Staff." Amy smiles at me again. "Go easy on yourself, Donna. You're doing a good job."

Before I can respond to Amy, Carol Gelsey steps up to the podium. And the room quiets down.

"Welcome to the 15th Annual Women of Congress Spring Brunch. Now, you know a lot of the men in Congress like to call this the Mother's Day brunch since that's tomorrow, but we know that Motherhood is not the defining role for all Women. We have careers, we have goals, we have dreams to make this world better for the next generation, whether or not we actually have children of our own. That's our focus for today. And soon we'll have an opportunity to hear from both the First and Second Ladies, so please enjoy your meal."

"Oh thank god" I mutter as Carol sits down. I immediately dive into my fruit bowl. Amy giggles under her breath.

"I never took you as much of an eater." She says. "I think I've only ever seen you with a yogurt at your desk or eating a salad in Josh's office."

"It's the baby. Now that the morning sickness is gone, I'm starving all the time. Last week, I made pathetic faces until Josh gave me his burger and fries. He ended up having to eat my soup and salad."

She pauses mid-bite. She looks thoughtful for a moment, then says "I don't think he'd have given up his food for me."

Oh. Are we going to do this? Although Amy seems to accept Josh and I as a couple, without any animosity, we've never really had this conversation. This could be a bit tricky but I want to be fair to both Amy and Josh. I don't think they were right for each other but she definitely wasn't the worst girlfriend he ever had.

"I think he would have. I don't know if he thought you'd let him though. In some ways you and Josh are very much alike. Neither of you really likes for anyone to know you could use some help." I take another bite of fruit.

"But he wasn't all in with me, like he is with you."

"No. You're right. He wasn't all in. But from what I was seeing, it didn't seem like you were all in with him either."

"That's true. Work was more important."

"Exactly. For both of you."

"Donna. It's wasn't _work_ that was more important for Josh. It was _you_."

I'm not sure what to say to that, and luckily, I'm given a reprieve when the food arrives. I use the opportunity to study Amy for a minute. She doesn't seem upset. Once the waiter is gone, I finally say "Amy, I hope you know I never tried to come between you." I take a bite of the spinach quiche. It's heavenly. Amy should really try some, but she's way more focused on this conversation.

"I know, but you loved him, right? You never answered me when I asked you, but you did." Well, she's waited a long time for this. I guess I can finally afford to be honest.

"Yes."

I leave it at that and take another bite of my food. The bacon's really good too. I never make real bacon anymore. It's good that my mouth is full. A little part of me wants to follow up with a lie, to tell her that even though I loved Josh he didn't love me. But I'm not going to tell her that because, truthfully, he did love me. He just didn't know it. But saying that out loud sounds pretty egotistical.

"He loved you too."

Oh. Well. Apparently, Amy's thought about this a lot. I guess I don't have to lie.

"Yes. But he didn't know it. I know that sounds weird, but you have to get Josh, he had such a strong ethical position on having a romantic relationship with a subordinate that he really didn't let himself love me that way for a very long time. To him we were just very good friends."

Amy smiles a me again. It's a little indulgent, a touch of smirk, but it's still friendly.

"You've always been protective of him. Believe it or not, I did "get Josh." Not as good as you, but I wasn't completely clueless. Josh and I just weren't meant to be . . . at least not in any universe where you existed."

I take another bite of quiche and chew slowly to give myself a minute. I really have no idea what else to say. But Amy's not quite done.

"Josh is a good guy. And I'm glad he's got you. If you hadn't been around, Josh and I might have tried to make the power couple thing work, and then I wouldn't have met Landon. And Landon makes me very happy. I hope we can be friends, Donna. The Sisterhood has to stick together."

"I'd like that. The four of us should have dinner sometime."

Dottie Baker steps up to the podium and we all clap. Damn. I should have eaten more when I had the chance.


	26. Chapter 26

I've been awake since 6:30. Pretty average for me on a Sunday. I'm very content to lay here and watch Donna sleep. I probably have an hour until she wakes up. During the first trimester I could pretty much plan on her sleeping until 9 or even 10 on Sundays, but in the last 10 days or so, she's suddenly got a lot more energy. Her libido is also on overdrive. Not that I'm complaining.

I slip out of bed. After I take care of my bathroom needs and brush my teeth, I head to the kitchen. Donna's Mom gave me her recipe for Wisconsin Breakfast Cheese Pie. I'm going to surprise Donna with breakfast in bed. If I time this right, I can satisfy her in other ways while we are waiting for it to cook.

Once I get the Cheese Pie into the oven and set a timer, I head into the guest bedroom and take the bag of wrapped gifts out of the closet. Margaret is an angel. She helped me with the shopping, wrapped them, and came over here and hid them. I thanked her by giving her a gift certificate for a Spa Day and giving her a day off to use it. I also made sure there were flowers on her desk for Administrative Assistant's week.

Leaving the gifts on the coffee table, I head back into the bedroom. Donna's in the bathroom, so I slide back into bed to wait for her. I hear her brushing her teeth. She's a creature of habit too. She likes to spend Sunday in bed, but she also likes fresh breath. When she's back, she gives me a quick kiss, then snuggles up against me. She lays her head on my chest and sighs softly. I wrap one arm around her and trace her face gently with my other hand. She'll probably end up going back to sleep. This is one of my favorite parts of Sunday mornings. Less than a year ago I had no idea what I was missing. I'm so incredibly, completely in love and happy, I want to show her in every way imaginable.

As I lay here savoring the moment, I can't help but think about what the future holds. Soon we'll be a family of three and a small person will be demanding our time and interrupting our lazy Sundays. But I'm actually looking forward to it. Seeing Donna with all those kids last week really drove home how great she's going to be at this. And I had no idea that I wanted kids until having them with Donna became a possibility. Thinking about someone who is a combination of the two of us makes my heart practically explode.

Donna stirs in my arms.

"Happy Mother's Day." I whisper, in case she's not really awake. She lifts her head and smiles at me. God. It's like the sun coming out. She rolls on to her back and stretches. Her shirt rides up a little so I lean down and kiss the bump. "Go back to sleep little Bean, I'm about to make Mommy very happy."

After I've made Donna happy several times, the timer for the Cheese Pie rings. Perfect timing.

"What was that?" Donna asks as she starts to get up.

"Just a little surprise." I drop my voice an octave. "Stay right here." I pin her with a look. Then grin at her. "Preferably naked."

She grins back at me and settles against the pillows. She's pretty onboard with Lazy, Naked Sundays.

She "tsks" as I throw on some sweats and a t-shirt to leave the room. It really _is_ a double standard. I encourage her to walk around the house naked as a jay bird on Sundays, but I frequently find an excuse to put something on. Today's excuse is the floral delivery that should be here any time now.

Sure enough the door buzzes right as I pull the Cheese Pie out of the oven. I leave it on the counter and head towards the door, stopping to grab my wallet so I can tip the kid. He's used to getting frisked by now, but I still make it worth his while.

I hope Donna likes these flowers. I had a hard time choosing, but I finally settled on a bouquet called "Sweet Spring Lilies" all white, pink and yellow. Something that reflects how I see her right now, gentle and glowing. I set the vase on the table and go back to preparing breakfast. While I'm putting a large slice of the pie, a bowl of fruit, and a glass of orange juice on the tray, I'm still thinking about the flowers. While I was debating, the florist said you can never go wrong with red roses, and I almost just got a full bouquet of them. But ultimately, I decide that one red rose would do. I put it in a bud vase and put it on the tray with a napkin and fork. I'll leave the bouquet in here for now. I wonder if she'll know that the lilies symbolize how completely and utterly devoted I am to her.

Donna sets her book down and smiles brightly at me when I enter the room with the tray.

"Breakfast in bed!" I announce.

"Thank goodness! I'm starving." Then she says cheekily, "I was about to come find you."

I raise an eyebrow at her. "I told you to stay here."

As soon as she hears my stern tone, she grins at me. She just loves this game we play and I'm happy to oblige. She bats her eyes innocently. "I was good. I stayed right where you told me to."

"Good thing. Because good girls get rewarded." I pause for effect, and lower my voice again, "And you know what happens to bad girls."

She gives me her best sultry look. "I'm _very_ good."

I groan. And her lips quirk up. She wins. She _always_ wins this game. I wouldn't have it any other way.

When I get close enough for her to see what's on the tray she gets very excited.

"No way! Is that what I think it is?" I've managed to surprise her. I feel myself puff up a little. Her reaction is making me really glad I made the effort.

"It depends, what do you think it is?"

"Wisconsin Breakfast Cheese Pie?"

"Yes."

"My mother's recipe?"

"Yep."

"You made this yourself?"

"I did."

"You are the GREATEST!" She beams at me. Yep. Definitely worth the effort.

I watch her carefully as she takes the first bite. I really hope this tastes okay. She closes her eyes and chews slowly.

"Mmmmm. This is really good, babe. You'd better be careful or you are going to end up on dinner duty a lot more often." It's odd, but I don't mind the thought of that at all.

She takes a couple more bites then looks at me curiously.

"Aren't you going to eat?"

"I will. I just want to make sure you aren't going to keel over first."

" _Josh_. Seriously. Go get a plate and come join me."

We watch a little of the morning talk shows while we eat. Then Donna ends up showing me exactly how much she appreciated breakfast in bed. After that, I run a bath for us and we soak for awhile. Of course, that leads to a lot more touching and more mutual satisfaction. Mother's Day is turning out to be almost as good of a holiday as Valentine's Day was.

"My fingers are all wrinkly. Maybe we'd better get out." Donna finally says, a little sadly.

I get out first and grab one of the new, oversized, fluffy towels that Donna bought shortly after she moved in. She hasn't really changed much around here, but it didn't take her long to get rid of the old towels that I'd had since my college days. Then Donna gets out and I grab another towel, wrap her up, and slowly pat her dry.

"Practicing for when the kid gets here?" She asks me.

"Nope. Not thinking about the kid at all right now." I quip back. What I'm thinking about is whether to have her open presents in the living room or to bring them to the bedroom. Part of me really would like to see if I can keep her naked all day long. After all, this is probably going to be the last "naked Sunday" Mother's Day. That makes my mind up.

"Alright, back into bed with you, young lady." I take the stern tone.

" _Really, Josh_?" She whines a little and I stop. That didn't sound like banter.

"Um, sorry. Did I get carried away?" I ask her seriously. The banter is only fun if it's fun for both of us. If she's done with it, so am I. This is supposed to be her day.

"I'm not going to be able to walk if we keep this up." Her tone is playful but I sense an element of truth to it. And I really wasn't thinking more sex. At least not right now.

"Oh, baby. I didn't mean for _that_. I was just going to bring you your presents. If you'd rather get dressed and move to the living room. That's fine."

"Presents?" She smiles happily, drops the towel, scampers back into our room, and jumps up on the bed, then sits cross-legged.

oh my god. She's going to kill me. Then she looks up at me with an evil smirk. She knows exactly what she's doing. She wins again.

As I go out to get them, I realize that she's kind of gotten over her aversion to me giving her gifts. I wonder if it's because now she can afford to buy me presents as well? Not that I need anything. I have her and she's giving me a child. What more could I possibly want?

I bring the pile of presents into the bedroom and her eyes go wide.

" _Josh!_ What did you do? This is way too much." She chastises me.

I set the presents on the end of the bed.

"I could never, ever, give you enough gifts to show you how much you mean to me. This is but a very small token of my endless love for you."

" _Josh_." She says again softly, but her eyes are shining. Sometimes I do okay with the words.

I climb up next to her and hand her the first package. She opens the box, revealing indigo, lavender and nude bra and panty sets. They are all very soft satin and they have something called Flexiwire that promises not to cut into her skin.

She looks up confused. "You bought these for me? How did you know what size to get? Where did you get them?"

"Margaret told me about a website. Hotmilknursinglingerie dot com. They have a size chart. I measured you while you were sleeping. And then I used the Bra Size Comparison chart. So I used those two charts to guess and then compared it to the sizes of the bras you seem to like right now. I hope they fit."

"Oh!" She says giggling. "That makes so much more sense. I was picturing you and Phil at Motherhood Maternity in the mall." She starts laughing for real. "I gotta tell you. I'd pay good money to see that!"

"Never going to happen, baby. I love you, but Al Gore invented the internet for a reason."

She's smoothing her hand over the satin. "These are really soft. This was very thoughtful. Thank you."

"Well, they have free returns, so if you don't like them or they don't fit we can send them back and get something else."

"I love them. They're gorgeous. Should I try them on?"

"Sure! As much as I love naked Sunday. Lingerie Sunday is pretty high on the list too."

Donna grins at me then gets up and comes to my side of the bed. She stops just out of reach. Then she turns around and bends over, giving me a very nice view of her ass while she slides the panties on. For someone who implied she doesn't want to have sex again today, she sure is teasing me. While her back is still to me, she slides the bra on. She looks back over her shoulder.

"Can you hook me up?"

"You'll have to come closer."

She smiles and backs up to the bed. I slide my hand over the indigo blue satin covering her behind. I love this color on her. Then I reach up and fasten the bra.

"I like taking these _off_ a lot better." I mutter.

She giggles again and turns around.

"What do you think?"

"Breath-taking. Always." I tell her. "But are they comfortable? That's the most important thing."

She fiddles with the straps a little.

"C'mere." I tell her patting a spot next to me on the bed. Once she sits down, I reach over and adjust the straps so they don't seem so tight. They still have room to expand a little more. The back of the bra is on the middle row of hooks. I run my finger under the wide band. It doesn't seem too tight. It looks like a good fit to me. But I'm hardly an expert.

I look back at Donna and she's looking at me with surprise again. Someday she's going to stop being surprised that, in spite of all the banter, my deepest desire is for her to be safe, healthy and happy.

I grin at her. "Looks like a good fit to me." I wiggle my eyebrows. "Do you want to leave them on or get naked again?"

" _Josh_!" She gives my arm a very light smack, but then leans over and kisses me. "These feel fantastic. I'll leave them on for a bit." I scoot over and she stretches back out next to me on the bed.

"Okay then. Next present." I hand her another package.

This one has one of the dresses that she tried on before. Her eyes light up when she sees it. Oh good. I was hoping that she liked it but just didn't want to buy too much at once.

"Thanks. My clothes _are_ getting a little tight these days. I was dreading going shopping again."

"Well then, I think you're going to like the rest of these gifts."

She can't stop smiling as she opens another pair of the comfortable black pants, a black skirt with a very stretchy waist and a couple blouses.

"You are amazing. Really. Thank you."

"Donna, you're growing my baby. You are doing all the hard work. The very least I can do is make sure you are fed and clothed."

She gives me another kiss and then looks into my eyes.

"No. The least you could do is nothing. There are plenty of guys that would do nothing. I am so very glad to be married to you."

She gives me another long kiss.

"Now, why don't you take this bra and panties off me so we can get back to naked Sunday and I can show you exactly how thankful I am."

Part of me leaps at the suggestion, but my brain is actually still in charge, and something about what she just said doesn't sit quite right.

"You don't have to thank me for gifts with sex. You don't have to even thank me with words. Seeing you smile is all the thanks I ever need, and really I should thank you for sharing that with me. God, Donna, I just love you so much. I just want to _show_ you."

Donna kisses me again. "Silly man, I know I don't have to thank you with sex. I want you so bad I ache for you. I want to show you how much I love you too."

Well, then, I guess the flowers can wait until later.


	27. Chapter 27

I walk into the office at 8:45. I like it when Senior Staff wraps up a bit early and I'm not feeling rushed. Moving our staff meeting to 9:30 has helped too. Usually that gives the First Lady and I a little time to go over things before we bring everyone in. I glance over at her office. Since the door is closed she must not be here yet. She generally leaves the door open unless she has a meeting, and I know she doesn't have a meeting.

"Good Morning Donna!" Karen greets me brightly. "Good Morning, Angela!" She adds when Angela walks in right behind me. Karen's pretty much always bubbly but I think she's even a little more so today. Probably because of the holiday weekend coming up.

"Good Morning" Angela responds smiling at both of us, then immediately settles in at her desk. She's working out nicely as Assistant Press Secretary. She's really good at the behind the scenes press stuff, but she's pretty quiet. I'm not sure how it would work out if she actually had to brief the press. I suppose it would. Annabeth used to hate it too and now she's a pro. In a worst case, scenario I could actually do it.

Annabeth hears everyone arriving and pops out of her office.

"Hey, is that another new outfit?" She asks me.

"Yes." I respond with a smile. Annabeth always notices stuff like this. When she complimented my dress on Monday, I told her that Josh had got me three new outfits for Mother's day. Since then she's made a point to compliment each one. On Wednesday, I wore the new black skirt with the new bright blouse. And today, I'm wearing the new black pants with the sage colored maternity blouse. It's my favorite. I love the color and it's really soft. And it's the first time I've looked in the mirror and thought I actually look pregnant!

"Josh has surprisingly good taste." Annabeth quips.

"I know!" I chuckle also. Josh has many hidden talents.

Karen snickers at Annabeth's comment, but really she's probably not surprised. She's a big fan of Josh's. She only knows the kinder, gentler Josh, who sends me flowers every month and frequently brings both of us lunch. If you only knew the attentive Josh, it wouldn't be that shocking to discover he can pick out clothes for me. I'm kind of pleased that someone only knows him this way.

Ned comes out of his office. "You look pregnant!" He blurts out. Then grimaces and freezes for a minute. He's got a strange look on his face. "I'm sorry," He quickly amends, "I didn't' mean . . ." He stammers without finishing his sentence. He's been really nervous around me since I announced my pregnancy. I wonder if pregnant women make him uncomfortable. He keeps looking between my face and my belly. Like he's waiting for something bad to happen.

"It's okay." I tell him as my hand drops to massage my bump protectively. "I do look pregnant."

His shoulders relax a little. I look down at the papers in his hand.

"Do you need to go over something?"

I don't actually have much interaction with Ned beyond the twice a day staff meetings. He answers the First Lady's direct line, handles personal correspondence, and other odd tasks. He arrives at 8:30 and leaves as soon as our afternoon staff meeting is over. I don't really know what he does all day, but Mrs. Santos doesn't seem to have an issue with him. I guess as long as he's doing whatever she needs that's what's important.

"No. I just need to drop these letters in Helen's, I mean, Mrs. Santos' in-box."

I'm glad he corrected himself. I'm getting really tired of doing it. He scurries into her office.

"Karen, please let me know when Mrs. Santos arrives." I tell her as I head to my office, stopping in the equipment room to put my lunch in the refrigerator. Since I need to leave early for my doctor's appointment, I plan on working through lunch.

About 15 minutes later, Karen buzzes. "Mrs. Santos is on her way in." A second later, the door opens.

"Oh my goodness, Donna, I have so much to do. Are you already packed?"

"Yes. We brought our bags with us this morning."

"I'm so glad you're coming. Matt's family can be overwhelming. I'm glad I don't have to face them alone!"

What an odd job I have. I'm very excited about going to Camp David for the first time, I just didn't expect it to be for a family vacation. Helen looks at me strangely for a minute.

"Oh! I'm not selling this very well, am I? I didn't ask you to go just as a buffer. I genuinely enjoy your company. And you and Josh shouldn't feel obligated to "staff" us this weekend. You're welcome to join us for as much or little family time as you'd like."

The way Helen goes back and forth from "frantic friend to professional person" always amuses me. I really do like her in both capacities. We've become very close over the last 9 months.

"You didn't need to sell me, Helen." Since there is no one else in the office, I use her first name. "I'm happy to be going. I've never been to Camp David before. I'm really excited. I'm happy to staff you as much as you need, but I'm also going as a friend. So either way if you need a break from family- just let me know. Believe me. I understand the craziness of family."

"Okay. Thanks. How much do we have to accomplish here this morning? Because I've still got to pack."

I still can't convince her to let the ushers pack. It's part of her insistence on being a normal family.

"We're just going to go through the latest agenda for the Queen's state visit and then I was going to let everyone leave early for the weekend."

"Excellent." Helen beams at me. Working for her is fairly easy. "What time is your appointment?"

"I need to leave around 4 o'clock. Once we're done at the doctor's we'll head straight up to Camp David. So we'll be there by 6."

"Are you sure you don't want to ride with us on Marine one? We could wait for you. It'll save you the hour in the car."

"No, thanks. The helicopter was way worse than a car ride. I'll take my chances with the town car."

"Suit yourself."

The agenda for the state visit doesn't take long. We all have figured out that it's likely to be revised several more times so, we review it but don't get attached to anything about it.

Once we are done, Mrs. Santos wishes everyone a good weekend and then leaves.

I look around the table. "Does anyone else have anything that needs to be discussed before Tuesday?"

"Not really." Annabeth says, while everyone else shakes their head no.

"Well then, I'm cancelling our afternoon meeting. I have a doctor's appoint at 4:30 so I'll be leaving shortly after 4. You all know your own workload. You are free to leave whenever you would like."

"Thanks, Donna!" Ned says standing up. I bet he's out the door in 15 minutes or less.

"Thanks." The others chorus.

I work steadily for two hours, reviewing the more intricate details of the state visit so that I'm comfortable for future discussions and meetings.

At 12:30, Karen buzzes "Josh is on line one."

"Thanks" I say, picking up the phone. I hope he isn't going to need to cancel going to the appointment with me. I know he's busy and planning to work through lunch too.

"Hey babe. What's up?"

"Have you eaten?"

"No, Why? Are you free for lunch after all?"

"No, I have a meeting. I'm just calling to make sure you eat."

"I had some almonds an hour ago."

"Donna, that's not enough."

"Josh, it was a snack, I'm going to have lunch soon."

"Okay."

"Did you really call just make sure I was going to eat lunch?" I thought we moved past this once the morning sickness mostly went away.

"I just wanted to hear your voice." He mumbles. Ah. Sometimes he's too sweet.

"I love you." I tell him.

"I love you too. Can you come to my office at 4? I should be done then."

"Sure. See you then."

At 3pm, I realize that Karen's not going to leave the office until I do. I put the memo from the Office of Protocol in my brief case and gather the rest of my things.

"I'm going now."

"I didn't think you were leaving until 4?" Karen looks concerned. "Everything okay?"

"It's all good. I'll see you Tuesday morning."

"Okay."

When I get to Josh's office, he's in a closed door meeting. Margaret immediately stands up looking concerned. I'm two for two on freaking out the assistants today.

"I didn't expect you until 4. Are you okay?"

"I'm fine. But Karen wouldn't leave until I did. I just wanted to give her an extra hour off. Don't tell her okay?"

Margaret gives me an indescribable look. I can't tell if she's proud of me or if she thinks I've flipped my lid. I'm not sure why I care, but I hope it's the former.

"Can I just hang out here until he's done or do I need to go someplace else?" I ask as I flop down in a visitor chair.

"You can stay here." She sits back down. I hear her mumbling under her breath- "yeah, like I'm going to be the one to tell him I sent his pregnant wife away to find some place to hide from her assistant. Do I look stupid or what?"

At 4:10, Josh's door opens and he follows Senator Rafferty out of the office.

"Nice talking with you, Senator. We'll be in touch. Margaret, call" He stops when he sees me. "Oh! You're here. Good.

I stand up and he gives me a quick kiss on the cheek. Ricki Rafferty's slight smirk becomes a full smile. Bartlet's Bulldog better be careful or he's going to lose his reputation.

"I'll be ready in just a minute. Margaret, can you make sure they have the car waiting for us."

I follow Josh into his office and watch him pack his backpack. He takes less briefing memos than I expected for being gone 3 days. Margaret comes in and gives him a couple more, which must be a higher priority. He shoves those in as well.

"Okay, let's go." He glances at his watch and grimaces. I'm not sure if it's because he still has a lot to do or not.

"Josh," I speak softly and try to keep my tone neutral. "If you need to stay, I can go on my own."

"What?!" He looks hurt. "No! Absolutely not. I wouldn't miss this."

"Okay. But if you needed to, I'd understand. You don't have an average job. I know there are going to be times when you have to miss something even if you don't want to."

"Not today."

"Okay. Then let's go."

Once we are in the car, he turns to me.

"I don't want to miss any of it. Not a single moment. You know that, right?"

"Yes, Josh. I know."

I hope he's not setting himself up. There are times when even parents with normal jobs miss stuff. Given that his is basically on -call 24/7, sometimes with the fate of the world on the line, chances are he's going to miss some thing at some point. But like he said. Not today. And at least he's already prioritizing so that he's not missing stuff just because there is work that could be done, because there is always going to be work that could be done.

We actually end up being a few minutes early for our appointment. Kevin conducts the sweep then we head in. There are only two ladies in the waiting room, but we are shown straight into an exam room.

"Okay Donna, step on the scale please." The nurse directs me.

"How'd I do?"

She frowns a little. "You've gained 3 pounds since your last appointment."

"That's good isn't it?" I thought they wanted me to gain weight.

"That means she's still down 5 pounds from the start of the pregnancy, right?" Josh is frowning too. "She should have gained 1-5 in the first trimester and then another pound a week since then." I think he's memorized that What to Expect book.

"Right, Dad, but let's not worry about it okay. We're happy to be seeing some positive movement on the scale." Dr. Andrews addresses Josh, but smiles at me as she steps into the room.

"How are you feeling, Donna?" She asks, motioning for me to sit down on the exam table.

"Really good. The morning sickness is pretty much gone. I still get a little car sick sometimes but not nearly as much. And I'm eating a lot." I give Josh a little glare. He's been pushing for me to eat more, but I think I'm doing fine.

"That's great. All very normal. Let's do a quick ultra-sound and see how the baby looks." She starts to move the machine over. "So, we're not trying to figure out the gender at this appointment, but sometimes the baby is a little exhibionist and gives us a free show. Do you want me to tell you if I see something?"

"Um, we haven't 100% decided yet. One of the reasons is that we don't really want to know unless you're 99.9% sure. We don't want to get use to the idea of one gender and pick out a name then find out it wasn't right."

"Okay, then tell you what. If I see something, I'll write it down and stick in an envelope with the percentage of how sure I am, and then you can decide whether to open it later."

"That sounds great, doc." Josh says. He really wants to know, but he wants it to be sure.

"Okay, lay back, Donna. Let's get started."

I lay back on the table and lift my blouse up. Then Josh takes my hand. I gasp as Dr. Andrews squirts gel on my stomach. Geez! That's cold. What do they keep it in the freezer or something?

But a few seconds later, I'm rewarded with the sound of the little bean's heartbeat and the sight of Josh's grin and dimples. I think this might be the greatest sound in the world.

Then Dr. Andrews turns the monitor so we can see the little bean. What a difference a month makes! The little bean actually looks like a baby now!

"There's a foot." Josh whispers.

Dr. Andrews moves the wand around and we get to see the baby's head and spine. Then the heart beating. She types a few numbers and hits a button and the machine whirls and spits out a print out.

She takes the wand away and hands me a paper towel.

"That's it?" Josh sounds really disappointed.

"Yes, Josh" Dr. Andrews responds. "Next month it will be much longer. This one was just to get some general data and baseline measurements. We actually only do this for high risk pregnancies."

Josh's grip on my hand tightens. "Is everything okay?" He's got a slightly panicky tone.

"Yes, everything looks really good."

He breathes a sigh of relief. "And do you know if we are having a boy or a girl?"

"I have an idea."

"How much of an idea?" I ask her. I know Josh would like to know but I'm still pretty undecided about this.

"I'd say I'm about 70% confident. Remember, that wasn't the purpose of today's appointment. So do you want to know what I think?"

"No!" I tell her firmly. "Maybe we'll find out next month." Josh nods. I don't think he wants to be 30% uncertain either.


	28. Chapter 28

For quite a bit of my life I thought I might be cursed or something, or maybe I just wasn't a good enough person to keep bad things from happening to the people I love, but right now, sitting here, I think the Gods must really like me, because I'm the luckiest man in the world.

Donna's tucked up against me and my hand is resting on the little bump under her shirt. We're in the back of a town car on our way to Camp David to spend Memorial Weekend with the President and his family. I have everything I ever wanted and more.

"So what do you think? Boy or Girl?" Donna asks as she looks at the ultra-sound pictures again.

"I don't think you can tell from those." Dr. Andrews gave us a profile picture and a picture of a foot.

"I know, silly. I'm just wondering if you have any idea."

"I don't know why you'd think I have any idea. It's your body. It seems like if anyone should have a feeling about it, it would be you. Do you have any idea?"

"No. I hope that doesn't mean I'm going to be a bad Mom."

"Oh, Donna. Please don't worry about that. I know you're going to be a great Mom. 100% mortal lock. You're compassionate, you're strong, you're ambitious, and God knows you are smarter than me. You are going to be an amazing Mom. There is no one else in the world I'd rather have a kid with."

Donna looks at me with eyes shining. I recognize the look from the early days of working together. She's looking at me like I hung the moon. I wished I'd told her more often how valuable she is. Well, at least I'm not making that mistake any more.

"I have had a couple dreams about the baby, but sometimes it's a girl and sometimes it's a boy. So that's not very helpful, is it?"

"I think it just means it doesn't matter." I lean down to her belly. "We love you little bean, whether you are a boy or a girl."

Donna smiles at me. "Did you eat lunch?" She asks, running a hand over my face. "We talk a lot about me, but the little bean needs a healthy Daddy too."

"Yes. Margaret takes her job very seriously. She said she's in charge of making sure I eat relatively healthy when I'm in the office."

"Good."

I glance at my watch. It's after 5. "When's the last time you ate?"

"I had lunch just after you called. Around 12:30."

"Are you hungry?"

"I could eat."

I tap on the window and Kevin lowers it.

"We'd like to stop for dinner along the way."

"Yes, sir. Where would you like to stop?"

I look at Donna. "Do you want anything in particular?"

"No, whatever's fine."

"Surprise us." I tell Kevin with a grin.

About 20 minutes later, we pull up in front of a place called Cactus Flats. We wait a few minutes and then Kevin opens the door grinning. We follow him in and I'm totally shocked that he approves of this place. It's basically a dive bar. The crowd looks pretty rough and it's not even 6pm yet. I'm not sure I want Donna here.

"Kevin, what the hell?"

"Trust me, man. I know this crowd is what some might call rough, but I swear they'd pull you out of a ditch in seconds. Besides the music is great, and you can't get a better burger and rings for miles."

"Come on, let's live a little." Donna says smiling, "it smells amazing in here. I want a deluxe burger and a big basket of fries! And a milkshake! Dr. Andrews said I should start drinking milkshakes, remember?"

I can't resist her and she knows it. She flashes Kevin a grin, this might have made up for the Trader Joe's debacle.

"Alright. Let's get something to eat."

We are almost through our meal when another song starts. It sounds vaguely familiar. Several people move out to the dance floor and line up. Donna's face lights up.

"Oh no." I mutter.

"Oh yes!" She answers. "Come on." She grabs my arm and drags me out there.

I really would do anything for her, even the Boot Scootin' Boogie.

I really am just as bad at it as I was the last time. But Donna's laughing and I'm laughing and it just feels good. As we leave the floor, the crowd smiles and taunts us in a friendly way.

Someone says "Don't give up your day job." I can't help but grin back. I wonder if he has any idea what I do.

Once we sit back down, I spot the waitress and motion her over.

"Can we have the bill, please?" She pulls it out and hands it to me. I like people who are prepared. I give her some cash including a large tip which makes her grin back at me. Good. Now we can leave whenever Donna's ready.

She eats a few more fries, then pushes the basket away.

"Ready to go, baby?"

"Yes."

I make eye contact with Kevin and give him a head nod. This was a great start to the holiday weekend, but I'm ready to go.

Back in the car Donna gives a happy sigh and snuggles in next to me.

"Put your seatbelt on." I command. I don't know why she doesn't do it as soon as she gets in the car. Sometimes I think she wants me to be bossy.

She rolls her eyes but obliges me.

"That was fun. . . . You're really terrible at that."

"Well thanks. You really know how to boost a guy's ego."

She laughs out loud at me. "The last thing you need is your ego boosted. You are the most accomplished man I know. You succeed at everything you put your mind to. I'm sure you could learn to line dance if you wanted to, but it's kind of nice having _one_ thing that I'm better at than you."

"Well, you really _do_ know how to boost my ego." I give her a kiss. "Thanks, but really, there are so many things you are better at than I am. That's why we made a good team." I give her another kiss.

"Speaking of which, did you work on the cabin assignments?"

"Yes, Helen and I did them together. We're in Witch Hazel because it's the closest to Aspen."

Actually Elm is just as close but I'm glad we aren't in Elm. That's where Leo usually stayed at Camp David. I wonder if Donna knew that when she was planning.

"So tell me what I'm in for here, Donnatella. Exactly how big is Matt's family?"

She smiles a me slightly sympathetically. "Well, let's just say this is going to make the Moss Family gatherings look like a small, intimate affair."

"uuuughhh." I can't help but groan a little. Mostly out of habit. I've come to love the craziness of Moss Family gatherings.

"I made you a facebook." She says reaching down into her briefcase.

"You didn't have to do that. But thanks. I appreciate it."

"I kind of need it too." She snuggles back into my side and we look at it together.

"Matt's in the middle of 7 children. He's the oldest boy." She reminds me. She's got the book in order.

First, Matt's Mom- Marita Santos. She's 72. Matt's Dad, Luis, died shortly after Matt was elected to Congress the first time. I see they've put her in Birch. That's a good choice. It's one of the VIP cabins close to Aspen.

"Matt's oldest sister and her husband have the other room in Birch." Donna says as she turns the page.

Rosa is 52. Husband is Tomas. They have four children. Their oldest, Luis is married to Maria, they're both 30. They have two kids. Marco is 4. Well, that should be easy to remember! And Carlos is 2. Then they have Roberto (28) who is married to Tina (26). Then two girls, Merisa (26) and Gabriella (23). There is also a picture of Merisa's boyfriend, Steve. Donna is through.

"We put Luis and Maria and their kids in Walnut. Since it has 2 rooms."

"That's a good choice. Toby stayed there last time."

"Roberto and Tina are in Chestnut, Merisa and her boyfriend are in Hemlock. Gabby is with the older girl cousins in Red Oak. The older boy cousins are going to be in Maple."

"Okay." I say, turning the page.

Next is Carmen. She's 50. Husband's name is Antonio (Tony), They have 2 kids, Teresa (24) and Tony (22). They are in Sycamore Cabin.

The third sister is Dolores, age 47. She's 18 months older than Matt. He's mentioned her before. They were close growing up. She named her youngest after him. She's married to Eduardo. They have Sophia (22), Maria (19), Alejandro (17) and Matthew (15). Hawthorne Cabin.

I stop for a minute counting in my head. "Wow. There are a lot of cousins close in age."

"Yeah, that's kind of how my family is too. You didn't get to meet many of them. They are spread out now."

"Oklahoma, right?"

"Yes." She smiles brightly at me.

I wonder when she's going to fully realize that I was paying attention to everything she told me. Sometimes I acted like I wasn't or pretended like I didn't care because I'm an idiot. At least I got it together long enough to get this right. I give her a little squeeze and place a kiss on the side of her head.

"After Matt, his mother had twins. Benita and George are both 43." Donna's back to the facebook. "George wants to be called Jorge, now."

I've heard quite a bit about him. He nearly caused problems for the President several times during the campaign. He's one to keep an eye on.

"Where did you put Jorge?"

"In Elm. Helen said that Matt would want to be able to keep an eye on him." Glad to hear that Matt's aware of it. We'll both be watching.

"Will the child be there?" I'm not quite sure about the status of Jorge's illegitimate child, except that she could have cost Matt the presidency.

"Yes. Her name is Sophia too. She's 7. Apparently, she spends a lot of time with Elena's family. In fact, Sophia will be staying in Aspen with a bunch of the cousins close to Peter and Miranda's age. It's going to be a big slumber party over there after everyone arrives tomorrow."

We turn the page again. Benita is married to Mark. They have Angela (17), Joseph (15) and David (12).

Matt's youngest sibling is Elena. She's 38. Married to Paul. They have Jackson (11), Cassidy (7) and Madison (5).

"Elena was the baby of the family. Little bit of a surprise. She and Helen went to college together. They are pretty close. Elena's actually who introduced Matt to her. They're in Dogwood, so they'll still be close to their kids."

"Wow. That is a lot of people!"

"35 not including us or the First Family."

"I'm never going to remember all these names."

Donna looks at me oddly. "Yes you will. You don't have to, but you'll end up knowing all their names by the end of the weekend because that's the kind of guy you are." Then she gives me a kiss.

"Speaking of names," she rubs her bump, "Sophia is nice."

"I'm sure the other 4 Sophias in her kindergarten class would agree."

"So does that mean you don't like it?"

"It's perfectly nice. I'd just like something a little less common."

"OH! We're here!" Donna sits up excitedly as we pull up to the gatehouse.

I love watching her experience new things. This is going to be a fun weekend. I tap on the window and Kevin rolls it down.

"Drive the long way through Camp. Donna's never been here."

After he rolls up the partition, I give Donna the ten-cent tour.

"To the left is the heli-pad and skeet range. There's also a field house out there. . . .There's a nature trail that winds all around the camp." I point out the window to the right.

"We could go for long walks." Donna smiles at me.

"I am an outdoorsman."

" _Josh!_ " She gives me a little smack but she's still smiling.

"That's the Commander's Quarters to the left, to the right is Rosebud. We worked on some of the details of the peace talks there."

The car turns to the left, away from the President's cabin, so I can show Donna more of the facilities.

"There's the camp office. Beyond that is Hickory Lodge. It has a bowling alley, movie theatre, game room and library."

We come to the tennis courts and turn right.

"Do you play tennis?" It feels odd to discover that after all this time there is something I don't know about her.

"Not really. I technically learned how in Gym class, but I didn't really enjoy it. I'm not really very good at sports."

"There are shops to your left." I point to a long building. "If you forgot anything we can pick it up there. And we should get you a Camp David hoodie to commemorate your first visit."

She grins at me. "You should get a Camp David hoodie, then I can steal it from you."

She knows that I like the sight of her in my clothes. Especially in an oversized hoodie, with her long legs bare, and her ass peeking out just covered by a scrape of lace. She knew exactly where my mind would go when she suggested stealing it from me. She's pure evil. God, I love her.

"Good idea." I groan. She smiles in triumph at my tone and slips her hand over my crotch. Well, that's not going to help me keep myself under control.

"You are the horniest man I know." She giggles, undoing her seat belt and sliding into my lap. She wiggles a little bit. And gives me a long kiss.

When she ends the kiss, I'm in a sorry state. "You are the naughtiest girl I know." I tell her with a grin. "I hope this tour lasts long enough for me to get back in control before we see the President!"

"Do you want me to move back over to my seat?" She asks me with a pout.

"God, no! But please, I beg you, sit still."

Of course, she immediately wiggles on my lap. She does love to tease me. But then she takes mercy on me, giving me a little kiss and settling down.

"Okay. I'll be good."

"You always are."

I point out the Barracks. "That's where the agents stay." And then we take the loop up by Laurel Lodge.

Donna launches right into the history of it.

"Laurel lodge was built in 1972. Laurel has three conference rooms, a kitchen, a spacious dining area, and a small presidential office. It's about a quarter mile down the hill from Aspen. Most official meetings and meals at Camp David take place at the Laurel Lodge."

I should have known she'd have already read up on this place. As we drive back towards Aspen, we can see most of the other cabins. Then the back side of Aspen lodge comes into view.

Donna gasps when she sees it. It _is_ quite magnificent. There's a very large single hole golf green, with three separate tees that make it almost like a three hole course. I love it.

"Golf." Donna groans. I wish she liked it. Well, there is one part of it she likes.

"And golf carts! Each cabin has a golf cart to get around this place." She perks up a little when I tell her that. "There's a heated pool too."

"I know. The kids are really excited. In fact, there they are."

Peter and Miranda must have been watching for us, because they come running out of the doors to Aspen as soon as we come to a stop.

"Tio Josh! Tia Donna! I'm so glad you're here! This place is so great. We have a pool and we're going to have a campfire tonight!" Miranda immediately starts to fill us in.

Donna bends down and gives her a hug. "It's so good to see you. We're going to have a lot of fun this weekend."

"Hey, Pete." I greet him with a fist bump and he smiles at me.

Matt and Helen come out of Aspen. They are both dressed casually and look more relaxed than I've seen them in a long time. I think this is going to be a very good weekend for all of us.


	29. Chapter 29

"Hey guys. Glad you made it." Matt greets us.

"Donna, come see the cabin after you get changed. It's unbelievable."

Helen looks really happy. I think this weekend is going to be really good for her.

"Okay. We'll just be a few minutes."

After the porter takes our bags into the cabin, Josh flips his backpack over his shoulder and takes my briefcase in his left hand. Then he grabs my hand with his right.

'I can get that you know." I tell him. But he just rolls his eyes and smirks at me.

"You bring the baby."

As we walk into the cabin, Josh turns toward me in anticipation of my reaction.

"OH! It's charming. Like a little storybook cabin." I'm in love with it. In the living room there is an old fashioned rocker with an afghan draped over it. There is a large sofa and a matching arm chair. They look like they are from the 70's but they are in good shape. There are spindle legged end tables and a newer looking TV on a low bookshelf.

In the bedroom, there is a queen size bed covered in a patchwork quilt. I reach out to touch it to see if it's as soft as it looks and I'm not disappointed.

Josh is looking at me grinning, rather than looking around. "Have you stayed here before?" I ask.

"Yes, actually, the last time I was here. But my roommate wasn't as cute as you are."

"Roommate?"

"Yes, I had to bunk with Will. During a summit like that, bedrooms are at a premium. That couch pulls out into a bed."

"I didn't know you stayed here."

His face clouds over. "No, you wouldn't have."

"No, I guess not." Last time he was here, I was half way around the world, in a lot of pain, feeling very confused and very lonely. Well. I certainly don't want to think about that right now.

"Let's get changed."

The suit cases have been left on luggage racks in the bedroom. It's still pretty warm out, so I pull out a pair of black capris with an elastic waist. I don't remember the last time I wore these but I was happy to find them in a box of summer clothes. I don't have a lot of options right now. At least these look okay with the green blouse.

Josh had ditched his suit coat before we stopped at the bar, but otherwise he's still in his work clothes. All he's managed to do since we've been here is to take off the tie and his shoes.

"Come on, babe, take it all off." I taunt him.

He rolls his eyes as he unbuttons his shirt. He's not much good at the striptease. I grin anyway. I like what I see. His chest is still broad, even though there are a few grey hairs dotting it. His arms are still well defined. His abs still look great for a guy in his mid-forties and I don't mind the little bit of padding that has formed just over his hips. The word love handles is totally appropriate.

"You going to hand me a shirt?"

"Not yet."

He sighs like he's being put out, but I see the sparkle in his eyes as he unbuckles his belt and pulls it through the loops. With Josh, that doesn't bother me. He unbuttons and unzips his pants and then steps slowly out of them. He folds them and places them on the dresser. I've trained him well.

Since I'm still not offering him any clothes, he sits down on the bed and takes his socks off. I use that opportunity to walk over to him and push him down. Then I lay on top of him and give him a good long kiss. I feel him stirring underneath me, so I start to pull back and get up. We really don't have time to make love.

But he anticipates what I was about to do and wraps his arms around me and very gently rolls so that I'm under him. He props his arms on either side of me to keep his weight of me, but I'm still basically trapped.

"You are quite the tease today, young lady." He says in that voice. "Just remember, sooner or later you have to pay the piper."

God, I'm looking forward to it. He gives me another thorough kiss, then gets up and goes over to the suitcase. Suddenly, I'm the one panting and wishing for more. He might have won this round.

As he pulls out his clothes, I decide to share some trivia to take my mind off the fact that I'd really like to rip his boxers off rather than watch him put clothes on.

"Did you know that Witch Hazel was one of the original cabins at the camp? Back in FDR's time, it was known as the "Grace Tully Cottage" because FDR's secretary, used this cabin most often."

"Nope. Didn't know that." He responds, putting on khaki colored cargo shorts. Man, he has nice legs!

"President Kennedy turned the cabin into a nursery for the children and their nanny." I tell him as he pulls a soft blue t-shirt over his chest. "And "President Johnson's two teenage daughters stayed here when they visited.

"That's odd. I wonder why they didn't stay in Aspen? There are four bedrooms in there."

"I don't know. Maybe some people don't really like their children that much, although in the case of the teenagers it might be the other way around. Anyway, all set? I'm ready to go see this Aspen Lodge I've heard so much about."

"Donna. Neither of us is wearing shoes."

"Oh right!' Pregnancy brain. I'm forgetting stupid stuff these days. But at least so far it hasn't been anything important, or work related.

Once we both have footwear, we head over and knock on the door.

Helen answers with a smile. "Come on in."

Looking around, I can see why Matt and Helen look so relaxed. The President's Cabin is what I'd call "rustic luxury." The cabin and lodge sit on top of a little hill with the rest of the camp out before it. The large living room windows really showcase the surrounding forest and countryside. The kitchen is homey but well appointed. And the bedrooms are a good size. Three of the bedrooms have two twin beds in them. We made specific arrangements to accommodate the cousins. There are five fireplaces. One in the master bedroom, one in the living room of the cabin and three in other areas of the lodge. My favorite is a "sunroom" on the end of the lodge. It has light hardwood floors and soft leather furniture in front of a large stone fireplace. It seems like a very cozy place for friends to hang out. The doors lead out to a flagstone patio.

In the back, the lower terrace has tables and an outdoor cooking area. The four of us stand there staring at the pool.

I turn to Helen. "That's amazing."

"The kids couldn't wait to get in. They went swimming before dinner. I thought we could have a little adults only swim time after they go to bed. Have some drinks, hang out in the hot tub . . ."

"Donna can't get in the hot tub!" Josh interrupts. He must feel like he's on vacation if he's interrupting the First Lady.

"Oh I know!" Helen laughs. "She can stick her feet in a bit. And the pool is heated too. We can float around and enjoy it before the rest of the family gets here. You brought suits, right?"

"Yes, I brought a bikini." I slyly watch Josh out of the corner of my eye while I'm talking to Helen. Josh swallows hard. He loves the red bikini. "I hope that's okay." I'm still talking to Helen but watching Josh's reaction.

"Yes, of course! I brought one too." She tells me. "That's the great thing about this! Absolutely no press!"

Miranda runs up to ask her parents something and I walk Josh back over to look at the stone fireplace some more.

On the way, Josh finally finds his voice and manages to squeak out. "The red one?"

He's still thinking about the bikini. I love watching him struggle with his dual desires to see me practically naked while keeping anyone else from getting a glimpse of my skin. It was one of the really funny things about the honeymoon. Finally, I take mercy on him.

"No. It's black and it covers a lot more of me than the red one. Although, my bump is going to stick out."

"I can't wait to see it." He says wrapping me up in his arms.

I use the opportunity to lean over and whisper in his ear. I know it turns him on when I do that. Even if no one is around, everything just seems sexier if you whisper it directly into your lover's ear. "I was thinking that after everyone else goes to bed tonight, we could sneak over here and skinny dip." I'm just teasing him. There is no way I'd take that chance. But I've made him think about it and that's points for me.

His arms tighten around me even more, and he groans "Donna, you're killing me here."

I know. I'm kind of evil that way. But the results of teasing him all day are definitely worth it.

Matt's voice breaks into our little tete-a-tete.

"So, Miranda would like to take a golf cart tour of this place. You two want to join us?"

I smile at Josh as I answer Matt. "Yes, we would."

"We'll go get our golf cart and meet you in the circle." Josh tells him, grabbing my hand and heading back to our cabin next door. He swings it back and forth as we walk and he's whistling. It's really great to see him relaxed.

"You're cheerful!"

Josh grins at me. "No skinny dipping. But I _AM_ going to get you naked later and have my way with you."

"Okay." I grin back.

Five minutes later, there is a caravan of golf carts ready to head out. Matt and Miranda are in one. Helen and Peter are in another. Josh and I are in ours. And another cart with 2 agents are ready to go along. Seeing the agents surprises me a little, since there is no one here except the First Family, us and staff right now. But even here there is protocol. The president's detail will stay with him the way they do at the White House. Helen and the children still have their detail, although they are given a much wider perimeter. Josh and my detail have been given the weekend off. There are enough agents just generally patrolling the camp that Ron agreed that we didn't need shadow guards. I think Josh and I are both looking forward to the freedom.

It's not surprising that the first place the kids want to go is Hickory Lodge. When we pull up to the building Josh is grinning. Sometimes he's a big kid at heart. He leads the way inside, showing us the 2 lane bowling alley, the billiards and air hockey tables. He challenges Peter to a foos ball game right away. Miranda wants to go look at the movie theater. We did arrange for several movies, just in case, but it seems like the weather is going to cooperate, so I don't know if anyone will end up watching them.

After they've checked out Hickory Lodge, we drive over and see the tennis and basketball courts, then the horseshoe pits and archery range, then the pond for fishing. The kids are going to have a fabulous time. And I'm really looking forward to some long walks along the nature trails.

"Let's go see the horses!" Miranda suggests. I see Josh grimace, but he agrees to follow along.

"So, horses?" I query with my eyebrow raised.

"Don't laugh, okay, but I'm kind of scared of them. They're pretty big and they seem to do whatever they want. They sort of smell too."

I giggle a little and he shoots me a hurt look.

"No, you don't understand, I'm not laughing at you. I'm laughing with you. I'm scared of horses too!"

"Really? I thought Donna Moss wasn't scared of anything."

" _Oh, Josh_. There are _so many_ things I'm scared of. But especially horses. I used to love them until the summer before 3rd grade."

"What happened?"

"I went to summer camp for the first time. It was a church camp up in the Pierre Marquette forest in Michigan. Actually, the camp was kind of like this place, except for the wait staff and security guards. Anyway, we got to pick several activities to do every day and my parents paid extra for horseback riding. The first two days were great. But on the third day I got stuck with this horse called "Lightening." At first I thought it was a terrible name. He was a pokey horse that didn't really want to keep up with the group, until about half way through the ride a snake spooked him. He reared up, but I hung on for dear life. Then he took off at a full gallop. When he finally came to a sudden stop, he threw me off."

"Did you get hurt?" Josh looks really worried.

"Just my ass and my pride. I was crying hysterically when the group caught up to me. Then, of course, I had to get back on and ride to the stables. For the next three days, I cried during the horseback riding hour. I was so scared they clipped a lead from my horse to the counselor's horse. Some of the older boys teased me for the rest of the week."

"Did you ever try to ride again?"

"Yes. I was a lifeguard up there one summer. During a break one day, some staff went out riding. I tried to go but when they brought the horse over to me, my heart was pounding so hard I thought I was going to pass out. I ended up bailing on the group. I just told them I had a headache."

When we get to the stables, Josh calls over to the First Family-

"Donna's allergic to horses! We're going to wait here."

"Josh! You just lied to the President!"

"Yes. Yes I did. And now no one will ask you to go horseback riding the rest time you're here."

"You are a brilliant man."

The sun is setting as Miranda finishes up at the stables. It's beautiful. We've only been here about 90 minutes and I'm already more relaxed than I've been in months. This place really is a presidential retreat.

I look over at Josh and smile. I'm sure the campfire with the family will be fun. Miranda has already informed me there will be s'mores and singing. I'm looking forward to hearing Josh belt out some silly camp songs. And floating in the pool sounds heavenly. But I really can't wait just to lay in Josh's arms under that quilt in our cabin and make good on all the teasing I did today.


	30. Chapter 30

I feel myself coming awake as the room gets lighter. I wrap my arm around Donna's waist and massage the little bump. Our baby. My eyes are a little misty. Two years ago I almost lost this opportunity. What kind of miserable man would I be if Donna hadn't survived? Just the thought brings such despair, even while I'm holding her. Would I have made it two years? I honestly don't think so. If she had been killed after I sent her on the CODEL, I couldn't have forgiven myself.

Stop. Take a deep breath. Don't go there. She's right here. She's healthy. She's having my baby. I'd like to wake her up and make love but it was pretty late by the time she fell asleep last night. After the campfire, we spent almost two hours in the pool, floating and talking with Matt and Helen. It was really a great time to just be two couples. Matt told us some really funny stories about growing up in Houston. I'm actually looking forward to meeting some of his family. Then we came back here and made love for a long time. She wasn't wrong about the second trimester, she's definitely got more stamina. But even though she has more energy now, she still needs her rest. Six hours sleep really isn't enough for her. Plus, I made a promise that I'd keep myself as healthy as possible, so a morning run would be a good idea.

I lean down and whisper in her ear. "I love you. You are smart. You are strong. You are infinitely valuable. You are a survivor." Then I scoot down the bed a little and whisper to her belly. "I love you, little bean. Daddy will be back soon."

Once I have my running stuff on I leave a note for Donna, just in case, but I really doubt that she'll be awake before I'm back.

I nod to the agent as I leave the cabin. Even though we aren't being directly shadowed, there is still an agent posted near our cabin. And several patrolling around Aspen. I know there are military personnel stationed through out the camp as well.

"Just a minute, please, Mr. Lyman." He says, surprising me.

"Okay." I stretch as I see him talk into his wrist for a moment.

"Would you mind stay on the road between here and Laurel Lodge until an agent can join you? We'd rather not have you run through the trails on your own."

"Sure." I hadn't really decided where I was going to run anyway. Just as I break into my run, which really isn't much more than a slow jog, a golf cart with two agents comes up behind me and follows along. My ego gets the better of me and I pick up my pace a little. I'm about half way to Laurel Lodge when another golf cart zips up and an agent in running gear hops out.

"I'm Rick. Mind if I join you?"

"Not at all, but I'm not very fast and I'm not much for talking while I run. I'm too busy trying not to pass out."

"Not a problem, sir. We'll go at your pace. Just let me know if you are having any pain or difficulty."

That's when it hits me. They don't want me to run alone on the trail because it's where Leo had his first heart attack. Oh god. He was laying out there and we left him. It was a miracle he survived.

"Rick, I'm just going to stick with the road around camp. I'm really not used to running on trails."

I don't think I'm ready to be out on the nature trail. I'm not sure how I'm going to react emotionally. Already, I'm finding that just being back here at Camp David has made me kind of introspective. I know Donna is looking forward to some nature walks. I'll just wait for her and we'll face the nature trails together. Since she wasn't here before, I doubt they'll trigger anything for her, but just the date on the calendar is traumatic enough.

In the mean time, I'll try to just concentrate on the sound of my shoes hitting the pavement and my heart pulsing in my ears. With every beat I promise not to follow in Leo's footsteps. I'm going to take time for my wife, and time for my children, and time for my health. Ultimately, I know it's what he would have wanted. For as hard as he pushed me in my career, he also had given me permission to take a vacation with Amy. I didn't because Amy wasn't more important than work. But Donna is.

I think Leo knew how I felt about Donna. I mean he saw how I was when I heard about the bombing. He gave me permission to leave, in the middle of a crisis, no less. He had to know. But I can't help but wish I'd actually told him. I never had the chance to tell my Father because I hadn't figured it out, but I missed the chance with Leo because I was worried about his reaction. I shouldn't have worried. And now I can't tell either of them that we are having a baby. My Dad would have been the greatest grandfather ever. Without him around, Leo would have stepped up. And being Vice-President, he'd have been the one close by that sees the kid all the time. I think he would have been great at it. He was so proud of Mallory's little boy. Maybe I'd be giving him the granddaughter to dote over.

Well, I'm not sure avoiding the trail did me any good. I'm still spending this entire run thinking about Leo. And I have no idea how long I've been running or how far I've gone. I guess it's a really good thing I've got an agent next to me.

"So how far is it around the camp?" I ask Rick.

"If we take just the main loop around the camp it's just about a mile. We can add another couple miles by going around by each of the buildings. How far do you normally run?"

"I usually just run on the treadmill for about 30 minutes. It ends up being around 3-4 miles."

"How often do you run, sir?"

"I usually end up hitting 5 days a week. I had gotten out of the habit for a while. But once Donna and I got married, I had more incentive to get back in shape. And now . . . I'm gonna be a Dad." I tell him with a grin. It's still such a great feeling to tell people that.

"Congratulations! Well, I've got a Garmin watch here, so it will let us know how far you've gone. You might find that you'll get a bit more mileage in outside. Most people do."

"Okay, thanks" I end up deciding to run in and out of each area so that I don't have to make as many circuits. As I run down by the water works and make the loop near the staff pool I spot a trampoline. I wonder if Peter and Miranda know about that.

As we get back to the front of Aspen, I ask Rick how far we've gone.

"Just shy of 3 miles. You've been running an 8:30 pace. That's pretty good. How are you feeling? Got a couple more in you?"

"What time is it?" I'm feeling pretty good. I could run some more but I want to be back when Donna wakes up.

"7:30"

"Okay, lets just do the main loop."

I'm feeling pretty good about myself when we finish the main loop.

"Nice run Mr. Lyman."

"Please call me Josh."

"Sure thing, Josh. We should cool down a little. Let's walk for a few minutes."

"Okay." As we start walking toward Laurel Lodge I have an idea. I probably should have thought about this last night. The dining room will be open during set hours while everyone is here, but people won't be arriving for a few more hours. I'd rather just have something delivered to the cabin so we can have breakfast in bed.

"Hey Rick, I'm going to walk down to the Lodge and make some arrangements for breakfast."

"Yes, sir."

"So Rick, are you married?"

"No, sir."

"Well, if you ever get married, just remember you can't go wrong with breakfast in bed. Chicks really dig it."

"I'll remember that."

When we are almost to the lodge, Rick says "Would you like to run again tomorrow?"

"Yeah. I'd like that. This was kind of fun." Maybe I should think about getting a personal trainer.

"What time would you like to go? I'll be at your cabin."

Tomorrow's Sunday so I definitely want to be back and showered before Donna wakes up.

"6:30 okay with you?"

"Yes, sir."

"Okay, thanks Rick. See you tomorrow." He grins at me and runs off at a much faster pace. I think this might have just been a warm up for him.

I'm just getting out of the shower when I hear the tapping on the screen door. I timed that a little too closely, I guess. I quickly throw on shorts and greet the porter. He puts the trays down on the table near the small kitchenette. It feels weird not to tip him, but it's strictly prohibited.

Taking Donna's tray, I slowly open the door to the bedroom. If she's is still sleeping, I'm not going to wake her. But I think she's probably close. It looks like she got up and brushed her teeth while I was out on the run. So even if she fell back to sleep she probably heard me in the shower. If the bathroom wasn't so tiny she probably would have joined me.

Sure enough, she's rolls over and smiles at me as I open the door.

"Hey good lookin'. Whatcha got there?"

"Breakfast in bed for my beautiful wife. . . . Have you seen her around?" I tease.

" _Josh!_ " But she's grinning at me. I bring her the tray and get a kiss before taking the covers off the plates. A spinach omelet, a bowl of fruit, a bagel with cream cheese and a glass of orange juice. A great breakfast for a pregnant woman.

"Are we sharing this?" She asks me, diving in to the omelet.

"No, I've got my own tray out there. I'll grab it and join you."

I set the tray on the end of the of the bed and start to climb in.

"Hold on a second, mister. Lose the shorts."

"What? Why?"

"I just think we should be wearing the same thing. You know, equality."

"And you're wearing?" I ask hoping that I'm understanding correctly.

"Nothing but this smile." She grins dropping the sheet.

"Well, I gotta say, I like your style Mrs. Lyman."

"So what's on the agenda today?" I ask her as we finish breakfast. I've got a pretty good idea about the first thing on the agenda, but sometimes she just likes to get me really ramped up all day long. And truthfully, I don't mind at all. When she teases me all day it makes the pay off all that much more sweet. Maybe it's because we spent so much of our relationship in a state of sexual tension

I get out of bed and take my tray and set it on the dresser. She takes a moment to look me over appreciatively, then launches into spokesperson mode, like she hasn't seen anything that interests her.

"Well, the schedule is mostly fluid. Really it's just a list of available activities and times they are being offered. Helen doesn't want to try to wrangle so many people into doing the same thing at the same time. She is hoping that everyone will come to the campfire tonight, then tomorrow for dinner they are having a BBQ Pool Party, so she expects everyone for that. Then another campfire tomorrow night. Then really nothing planned for the group on Monday. They'll pretty much all be gone on Monday by 3pm to head home."

She looks done with her tray, so I take hers away too.

"So what about us? What do you want to do today?" I ask in a husky voice as I climb back into bed.

"I'd like to go for a walk. Maybe go swimming again. It doesn't really matter what. I'd just like to be with you." Then she pauses and looks at me intently. "What do _you_ want to do?"

"I just want to be with you too." I let my hand slowly wander across her stomach. It's like a test of my will not to immediately turn this sexual, but it's always been worth the wait with Donna. And if she's not in the mood yet, I can wait.

Donna chuckles. "So we going to spend the entire weekend in this cabin and just be together?"

I wiggle my eyebrows at her. "Doesn't sound that bad to me."

"Me neither," she says rolling over on top of me and kissing me passionately while her hands thread through my hair. Yes, absolutely worth the wait.


	31. Chapter 31

When we're done I lay in Josh's arms for a few minutes. It really is fantastic to just be together. God, I love him so much. It really doesn't matter what we do as long as I'm with him. I could lay here forever and just listen to his heart beating.

"I'll golf with you if you'd like."

It surprises me a little as the words come out of my mouth. But I know it's something he likes. I want him to do the things he likes, but I don't really want him to do them without me. Maybe someday when we are old and grey we'll need time apart, but not at this point in our lives.

Josh tightens his arms around me and sits up a little so that he can look down at me a little better. I think I surprised him too.

"I'd like that, but you really don't have to. It's not like golfing in Hawaii where we drove around in the cart."

"I know. But it's something you like to do, so I'll give it another try. This seems like a good place to practice."

"Thanks, baby." He leans down and kisses the top of my head. Another ten minutes go by without either of us making any moves to get up. Unfortunately, I have to pee.

As I'm getting up Josh starts to formulate a plan.

"It's supposed to be in the 80s all weekend. Let's go for a walk now. Then we should probably check in with Matt and Helen. We can golf and swim after lunch."

"Alright, let me just grab a shower and get dressed." I lean over and kiss him. "By the way, thanks for breakfast."

"Anytime, baby, anytime."

When I'm done getting dressed, I find Josh in the living room, reading briefing memos. They just never end. We read a lot of them when he was DCOS, but we split the work. And he still spent a lot of time on the hill and in meetings. Now there are a lot more memos and many of them are on topics that he's not as comfortable with, like foreign policy. But he really is brilliant, and a pretty fast reader so that helps.

He puts his finger on a spot so he doesn't lose his place and then looks up at me. "Almost done with this one. Can I have 5 more minutes?"

"Of course." I sit down next to him and he wraps his arm around me. I wasn't kidding when I said I don't care what we do. I just want to be with him.

He's true to his word and almost exactly five minutes later he closes the memo. I could just keep sitting her like this. I'm perfectly content.

"You can read some more if you want to. I'm good."

"Nah. I'll read some more tonight or in the morning. Let's go for that walk now while it's still relatively quiet around here. I have a feeling it's going to get crazy very soon."

"Okay." I smile happily at him. We haven't really had much chance to be outside since the honeymoon. Just a little bit at Christmas and Easter. I'm really looking forward to this.

"The trail is about 2 miles total. But if we walk down to Laurel Lodge and take the loop then walk back here it would be about a mile. Then if we want to go further we can go the other direction. How does that sound?"

"I'm pretty sure I can handle a mile." He's so protective. I'm sure I could handle several miles.

"Okay but if you get too tired or you want to stop, let me know and I'll call somebody to bring us a golf cart."

"Okay."

As we head out the door, Josh stops and talks to the agent posted outside.

"Donna and I are going to walk the nature trail down to Laurel Lodge and back."

"Very good, sir." He responds. As we walk away, I hear him say into his wrist "Backpack and Bulldog entering nature trail at Witch Hazel."

Josh leads me over to the golf area. "We can pick up the trail back behind this tee."

"What's that about?" I ask him pointing at the agent who has moved so that we are still in his line of vision. He seems to be trailing us but giving us a very wide perimeter. "I thought we didn't have to have shadow agents while we were here."

Josh sighs a bit. "Leo was walking along this trail when he had his heart attack. It was very early in the morning and no one knew he was out here. It was a long time before they found him."

I stop and grab Josh's arm. "We don't have to walk here." Really. I don't want to stir up any memories for him. This weekend is hard enough as it is.

"It's okay. I don't want to avoid it. The last time I was here was not very pleasant. I'd really like to make new memories with you."

We walk in silence for a few minutes. It really is a lovely trail. Green and cool. The sunlight is filtering in through the trees. Little chipmunks scurry across the path as they see us coming.

"I came almost straight from Germany." Josh breaks the silence. "My flight landed and I headed straight to the White House. I was surprised to find Leo still there. I expected him to be here with the President. It was pretty crazy that just a week after the bombing they had managed to pull together a peace summit. Nothing at home could have been a bigger priority."

"Did you sleep on the flight?"

"A little."

"You must have been exhausted."

"Yeah." He admits. "I was. But Leo said he needed me here. So I went home grabbed some clothes and came straight up."

He didn't take care of himself. It must have been a brutal flight. But of course, he would throw himself right back into work. I feel guilty about that. He came over there expecting to declare his love, and maybe even propose, and I threw Colin in his face. Even though I knew Colin was just a one-night stand I let him stay and I let Josh leave believing that I was involved with someone else. I try to force down the self-reproach. We've been over this. I don't know what it gains to do it again. But I'd like to hear about the peace process and I think Josh needs to talk.

"What was it like? Helping with the peace process?"

"It was hard. I was so angry about the bombing. I was still worried about you even though the doctors were convinced you were going to be fine. I mean, how did they know you wouldn't get another embolism? But you had too many people crowding you, and you wanted me to go, so at least I could be where Leo wanted me to be."

The regret comes barreling back. I stop again. I want to throw myself at Josh's feet and beg for forgiveness, but I settle for touching his arm. "I'm sorry."

He looks confused. "What? You don't have anything to be sorry about. It's not like you wanted to get blown up. You didn't even ask to go to the Middle East. I should have found a way to get you on the Brussells trip."

"Josh. I'm sorry I sent you away. I'm sorry Colin was there. I'm sorry I let you believe that I cared more about Colin than you." I feel my eyes starting to fill and take a deep breath. "I was just so confused."

Josh wraps me up in a hug and just hold me for a minute. Then starts murmuring into my ear in a low voice.

"Baby, I'm just so glad you survived. And _we_ survived. We finally got to this point. We've already forgiven each other about the past, right? I'm not upset or angry. It was what it was. Our relationship didn't take any easy path but the fact that we got here after all that just proves to me that we're meant to be."

He leans down to kiss me. Then just holds me for a few more minutes. It feels really good. Maybe we should go back to talking about the peace summit. I am interested in hearing more about that.

"So what did you do when you got here?"

"Toby and Will filled me in. They were pretty frustrated. The parties just seemed so far apart. And it's such an in-grained thing. They were making no progress with either side, even on the small things. And we all knew even if there was progress with the leadership, there wouldn't be any guarantees of peace."

"There are no guarantees about anything, really, though." I mean look at his Dad and Leo and Joanie, and Admiral Fitzwallace and the Congressmen and aide that died. Their lives were all cut short. No guarantee of tomorrow.

"That's true. And at first, I took Leo's position. I tried to remind the President of the downside of the things that were being suggested. I still wanted him to just destroy the people that hurt you. But I ended up sitting in a meeting with Prime Minister Zahavy and Kate, and when there was finally some concessions on both sides, it felt like a small miracle. And all of a sudden the hope of peace bloomed. I mean, isn't that a better tribute to those lost than just more destruction?"

"Yes. Any progress toward peace is better."

"Then it all came down to sending peacekeepers, and that was a very sobering thought. Sending teenagers into a war zone to try to keep the peace. I didn't really like the idea. Leo detested it."

"Really?" I had no idea.

"Yeah. He and Bartlet had words in private. When I came out to check on the status, Leo looked horrible. He was ashen and sweaty. He'd been complaining of indigestion all night. I asked him if he was okay and he said he just needed some air. He sent me back in to monitor what was going on with the discussion. I shouldn't have let him go off on his own. I should have known it was something serious. He walked off into the woods and almost died."

I stop again and force Josh to turn and look at me. The sorrow in his eyes is crushing. I cup his cheek with my hand. "Listen to me. You had no way of knowing." He looks doubtful. I'm not reaching him so I try a different approach. "Are you a doctor?"

"No."

"Had you ever seen anyone have a heart attack before?"

"No."

"Did Leo give you a choice about whether to go back inside?"

"Not really."

"Leo made a choice. You told him you were worried about him. You asked if he was okay. Then you followed your bosses instructions. You are not responsible."

He still has regret and sadness etched on his face. "I know, but I can't help but wish I'd done something different. If I'd sent Abbey out to examine him or something. If he had faster treatment for the first heart attack, maybe he would have survived the second one."

"Or maybe he wouldn't have taken his recovery as seriously and would have ended up having the second heart attack sooner. We'll never know what could have been. That's why we can't dwell on it."

I can see I'm reaching him. He smiles at me sadly.

"I know. I really do. I'm getting better at it. But it's still a sad memory. And I really miss Leo. Not having him or my Dad around to share in all our happiness is really hard."

"I know. I'm sorry they aren't here too. I really wish I could have got to know your Dad. He was really a lot of fun to talk to on the phone."

Josh grins at me for real.

"He liked you so much Donna. He teased me all the time. You should have heard him." He changes his voice a little and I'm amazed at how much he really does sound like his father. "'When you gonna wise up and fire that girl so you can ask her out?"

"He wanted you to fire me?!"

"Not really. Well, yes sort of. He knew I'd never ask you out while you were my assistant. He raised me right. But he thought maybe you could work for someone else on the campaign."

"It had only been a few months. I probably only talked to him 10 times. And you were dating Mandy part of that time!"

"He had a sixth sense about people. Actually, you remind me of him. He was a romantic at heart and loved to play matchmaker. Plus he couldn't stand Mandy and he really wanted grandchildren!"

"Well, I guess that explains why he kept offering me a job at the firm." Josh looks surprised. I guess he didn't know that. "I'm glad I at least knew him a little bit."

"Me too."

We walk in silence for a few more minutes then the lodge comes into sight.

"I'm glad we finally reached the lodge. I need to pee."

Josh just laughs. "Okay."

After our walk, it's close to lunch time.

"Let's take the golf cart, we can drive around and see if anyone is here yet. Then we can go have lunch." Josh suggests.

"Sound good to me. I'm starving!"

"Maybe we should go find some food first? If you are hungry I want you to eat. I don't want you to wait until you're starving."

I can't help but shake my head at him. "It's just an expression Josh. I'm not going to pass out if I don't eat in the next 5 minutes."

But he still looks uncertain. The "non-fainting" incident at Easter really scared him. And he still has monomaniacal tendencies, they are just focused on me and the baby now. I alternate between feeling very loved and slightly smothered.

"Let's compromise. We can drive the long way just to see if people are arriving but not stop to talk to anyone until after we eat."

"Okay. But I'm driving." He announces sliding in behind the wheel.

Of course he is, that way he controls whether or not we stop. I give him a smile and move to the middle of the seat so that I'm pressed up against him.

"Okay. No matter where you go, I'm right beside you."


	32. Chapter 32

I wrap one arm around Donna and we zip off in our little cart. The weather this weekend is just perfect. I love it up here. I really am an outdoorsman.

Most of Matt's family was scheduled to arrive this morning. Donna helped with the transportation details as well. Even though they aren't dignitaries, the secret service still prefers to use it's own people to transport them here, they don't want random cab drivers gaining access to the facility.

I can see some activity over at Birch, so I head there first. Even though I want Donna to eat, I also do want to check in with Matt and Helen. We may be on vacation but these jobs never really end. I know Matt and Helen don't want to be staffed this weekend but it just feels weird to be here and not making sure they have everything they need.

"Josh! Donna!" Matt bellows from the doorway as we pull up in front of the cabin. "Come meet my familia!"

Donna grins at me as I park. Okay, she sort of won this one, but I don't want her to wait too long before she eats. "If you need to eat right now, I'll tell him we'll come back. You know he'll understand."

"I'm fine, Josh. We'll meet everyone then head over to Laurel. Maybe some of them will want to join us."

As we walk into the cabin, Matt hollers out, "Hey everybody! This is Josh and Donna Lyman. They are good friends and our Chiefs of Staff. Josh is the reason you are all standing here today! He's the one who convinced me to run for President!"

A small, round woman walks up to me, grabs my face and plants a large kiss directly on my mouth. I'm stunned. The room bursts into cheers. What the hell just happened?

"Ma!" Matt admonishes in a laughing tone. "Josh isn't Latino! He's not used to strange women kissing him."

"Looks like the Lemon-Lyman fan club has a new president." Donna mutters under her breath.

Now that she's done with me,Matt's mother turns toward Donna and gives her a big hug. "¿Estás embarazada?"

"Am I embarrassed?" Confused, Donna looks to me for help, but Matt jumps in.

"She's asking if you're pregnant. Latino women aren't shy about that sort of thing." He looks back at his mother. "Sí, mamá, está embarazada."

Mrs. Santos gets a huge smile on her face. Beaming she pats Donna's belly. "Mamacita"

Donna smiles. Pretty mama. She doesn't need translation for that. It really means something closer to sexy lady, but either way, I don't disagree!

Matt starts running through introductions. I'm glad Donna made the face book or there is no way I'd remember any of these people. I'm sure not all of them are here but without my cheat sheet, I don't know who is missing. It seems like there are significantly less children than there are supposed to be.

"Donna and I are going to head over for lunch. Do you need anything?"

"Josh, you're on vacation. You aren't here to look after me. That's what my Mama is for!" He wraps an arm around her somehow even though she's quite a bit shorter than he is. "You two go on ahead. Enjoy some lunch in peace because once we get the children all rounded up we'll be descending on the place too."

Lunch is being served cafeteria style from noon until 2pm, so they've got plenty of time. Donna is grinning as we go through the line with trays.

"This is just like camp!" She nods yes to a serving of macaroni and cheese, and chicken strips, and then french fries and also some pears. She pops a french fry in her mouth as she puts her tray down at the table, then she goes over to the salad bar and makes a salad too.

I like seeing her eat like this. She used to deny she was hungry, then steal half my food. I actually didn't mind that either, as long as she was eating.

"You should eat a salad too." She says as she sits down across from me.

"I will, I'm just going to have this Tuna Salad sandwich first. They are really good up here."

"Oh." she says softly, and I know what's coming in three, two, one . . . "can I have a bite?"

I grin as I hand her half. She blushes a little. "The baby is hungry."

"No explanation necessary." I run a hand down the side of her face. "Besides, I can just go get another. I'll get a salad while I'm at it."

As we are leaving the lodge, the Santos horde is on it's way in. I think we timed that just right. If we hurry and get changed we should have some alone time in the pool too.

I wonder if this is what heaven is like. Floating. Looking up at blue sky and fluffy clouds. My arms wrapped around Donna's bare waist. My hand cradling our baby.

We're laying together on an inflatable raft but our combined weight has it sinking down in the water, which is perfect.

"mmmmmm. This is nice." Donna purrs. I love the little sounds she makes when she's content. I don't think I'll ever get enough of them.

"Maybe we should name the baby some sort of water related name?" She suggests.

"Marina?" I offer.

"Oh no! Toby's assistant that you made me spy on! I don't think so, bub."

"Sedna? Inuit goddess of the sea."

"Um, no."

"Moselle? Its Hebrew, it means from the water."

"No, a little too unusual for my taste."

"Cordelia? It means daughter of the sea."

"Ooooh, that's pretty. And not too unusual."

"AND not too common. Does it make the list?" It's not my favorite but I do really like it. It's got some nickname possibilities too- Corrie, Corky, Delia, Lia. Of course, I could always still jus call her Lulu. But I'm going to keep that to myself. Donna's actually considering this one and I don't want to blow it.

"Okay, yes. Cordelia makes the list."

I grin to myself.

"How come you only suggest girls names?"

"Huh. I didn't realize I do that."

I stop for a minute considering it. I do tend to lean toward girl. I don't think I have any sort of sixth sense. Maybe it's because I can still remember one day at the White House theater President Bartlet said "Josh, if you ever have a daughter . . ." and for the rest of the movie I sat next to Donna imagining a blonde little girl and hoping that some day it could be true. But since then I've seen Donna snuggling with Marco and his mop of curly brown hair, and now having a little boy sounds equally as amazing. I can see us playing catch, teaching him to hit, watching the Mets. Well, I guess that could happen with a girl too.

"Do we _need_ to talk about boy names? I kind of thought you were pretty set."

"Well, _I_ am. Noah, Jacob and Leo are still at the top of my list. But you haven't told me how you feel about Noah and I'm trying not to push you."

Without flipping us off the raft, Donna somehow manages to turn over so that she's laying on top of me and can look up at me. Little things like this still leave me in awe of her. She wiggles a little, getting comfortable and I let out a small groan. Then she grins wickedly.

"Although, now might be a good time to push you a bit, huh. Bet I could get you to agree to any name I wanted right now."

She runs her hands lightly across my pecs. Um, yeah. Of course she could. But I'm pretty sure that I'm not going to be able to deny her anything she wants after she has my baby anyway.

"I didn't talk to my Mom about using Noah yet. It's sort of part of that Jewish superstition thing. Plus, truthfully, I think she'd really like the idea and I don't want to get her hopes up in case we don't use it."

"Can you talk to me about it? What has you hesitant about using Noah?"

"If my Dad was still alive, we wouldn't use Noah. We don't name our children after people who are still alive. So it's kind of sad that it's available. I do like the idea of honoring him. And I like how the name sounds, but there already was a Noah Lyman. I don't want my kid to feel like he's got to fill someone else's shoes."

"Okay." She says softly. I hope I haven't disappointed her. I don't absolutely hate the idea of using Noah, but I'm definitely not ready to commit to it.

"I like Jacob and Leo because neither of them were Lymans. I'm open to other names too, but I haven't really come across one that I like better than either of those."

Between all of Donna's gomers and all the congressmen I've known, the list of acceptable boy names is pretty short.

Since she's laying on top of me face-down, her ass is in the perfect position for my hand to caress it while we talk. I hadn't even noticed I was doing it, but now that we are quiet for a moment, I'm hearing the little sighs she's been giving me to let me know she likes what I'm doing. I get a little bolder and work my hand inside her bikini.

"TIO JOSH! We're here!" Miranda's announcement startles me, and as I frantically try to remove my hand, I tip us over.

I hear laughter as I resurface. Donna comes up sputtering. "Smooth move, Lyman."

She's pushing the hair out of her face and she looks adorable, so I grab her around the legs and dunk her again. The boys hoot in appreciation and egg me on. "Get her!" one of them yells.

" _JOSH!_ You are in so much trouble!" But she's laughing so I know I'm really not. Although, I would happily accept whatever punishment she wants to dole out.

"Oh yeah? Tough love tonight? You bring your equipment?" I keep my voice low enough that no one else can hear, but Donna still blushes.

Her response is to splash water in my face. I advance on her and she can tell I fully plan to dunk her again. She trys to get away, but I snag her wrist and pull her to me. She struggles a little as I pick her up, then suddenly stops struggling and softly says "please, that's enough." So I just hold her to me. She sighs again and places a light kiss on my shoulder.

Around us the boys are cannonballing into the pool and the girls are shrieking. Several adults have settled into the hot tub, but that's not really the place for us. I carry Donna carefully towards the end of the pool.

"You done? Want to head back to the cabin for a nap?"

"I'm not really tired. We might have to burn some more energy first."

Yeah, I can think of a few ways to do that. I let go of her legs so she can find her footing, then watch her climb the steps out of the pool. The way the sunlight hits her glistening body, she seems to glow. The black bikini isn't itsy bitsy like the red one, but it still leaves a lot of skin for me to admire. The curve of her abdomen takes my breath way.

Someone wolf whistles from the hot tub. One of Matt's brothers-in-law. Without thinking I turn and glare in that direction, which causes everyone to laugh. I do know that, culturally, that was a compliment, but I can't help but screaming "MINE!" in my head.

Donna just blushes and hurries to put on a cover-up. I wrap a towel around my waist and we walk over towards the group.

"Want to join us?" One of Matt's sisters, I think it's Benita, offers. It's pretty crowded but another sister, Dolores, maybe, moves up to the edge to just dangle her feet in for a few minutes.

I look towards Donna. It's up to her.

"No thanks," she says brightly, "I'm pretty tired, I'm going to go catch a nap. We'll see you at dinner and the campfire."

"I thought you weren't tired?" I say as soon as we are out of hearing.

"I'm counting on you to wear me out."

"Okay."

On the way to the campfire, my mind drifts to how great of a day this has been. Peeling that little black bikini off of Donna very slowly, then actually napping after we wore each other out. Waking up feeling refreshed and just holding each other for a while. Then dinner with the boisterous Santos Family. It was loud, but full of laughter and lots of love. There's something about big families . . . I squeeze Donna's hand a little tighter as we look at the stars.

When we arrive at the campfire, there's a chorus of greetings, mostly starting with "Tio Josh, Tia Donna!" Donna immediately grins. She's very comfortable in these large family gatherings. Somehow she manages to follow several conversations, observe several of the kids sneaking extra marshmallows, and sing along with the silly songs all while making me the perfect s'more.

As we walk back to the cabin, it's late, and it seems like there are even more stars. We don't see these in the city.

"Amazing, isn't it?"

Something from Hebrew school comes to mind-

"Abraham's descendants are more numerous than the stars."

"Can you imagine?" Donna asks in wonder.

"The thing is I kind of am. Imagining it. A big family. We haven't talked much about it, but I'm hoping for more than one, you know."

"I know. I am too. But probably not that half dozen you suggested on the honeymoon."

She makes me laugh. "No, probably not. But maybe two . . . or three."

She smiles that enigmatic smile of hers. The one that I never completely understand, but I adore. I think that's a yes.

Donna's been asleep for a while when I flip the light off and settle down. I'm almost asleep when I hear her whimper. I sit up, turning the light back on. A few seconds later, she twitches in her sleep, then she whimpers again. I don't have to guess what's happening. I reach over and gently rub her arm. The key is to get her out of this dream without freaking her out any worse.

"Donna, I'm right here." I keep my voice low and gentle but she's still out. She twitches again and tears start to roll down her cheeks. I feel my heart shattering.

"Baby, wake up. You're okay. I'm right here." I rub her arm a little more firmly hoping to pull her out of the nightmare.

Suddenly, she sits up. Her hand flies to her chest. I can see a vein in her neck wildly pulsating. Her heart must be hammering.

"Josh?" Her voice is higher than normal. Scared.

"I'm right here. C'mere."

She falls over into my arms. She's shaking and now I can feel how fast her heart is beating. I rub her back trying to calm her.

"You're okay. I'm right here. Everything is fine." I keep whispering reassurances.

"You're still here?" She asks in a daze. I know how hard it can be to come out of a really bad dream.

"I'm still here." As I soothe her, I feel her tears on my chest. All I can do is hold her tighter.

I wondered how this anniversary was going to be. I wasn't with her around this time the last year and she doesn't like to talk about it. As far as I know she's only had one other bad dream since we've been married. She turned down the suggestion of talking about it then, but maybe now she'd be willing. I know from experience you don't get over this kind of trauma, you just learn to cope. And talking to someone is a good idea.

"Do you want to talk about it?"

I feel her shake her head. I don't want to push her. I'll try again tomorrow. I run a hand down her arm and stop at her wrist, subtly trying to take her pulse. It's still a little fast but not crazy.

"Go back to sleep. I've got you." I whisper. If she doesn't want to talk, I'll just hold her tight and hope it's enough.


	33. Chapter 33

My head is resting on Josh's belly. His hand is playing with my hair. I think I drooled on him.

"Are you really awake this time?" He asks as I sit up.

"Um, yes?" I'm feeling a little foggy, but it's coming back to me. Bad dreams, tossing and turning, falling back to sleep several times. Josh holding me. I look him over. Normally if I sleep this late he's left the bed, accomplished several things, and returned to me. It doesn't look like it today.

"Did you go for a run this morning?"

"No, I didn't want to take the chance of you waking up again and being alone."

Ugh. I'm not weak. I could handle it. But, it does feel much better to wake up with him. Yesterday was so perfect, then that horrid nightmare. Somehow my brain has merged Rosslyn and Gaza. I see that Josh is about to be shot, but I'm trapped upside down in a burning SUV and can't save him. I feel myself shudder. Josh notices and opens his arms. When I crawl back into them, he wraps me up. This is where I want to be. Safe.

"Hey, I'm right here. You can talk to me. You don't have to keep it all inside."

He's speaking very softly and it's very soothing but I don't want to say the words out loud. I don't want to admit that I sometimes I can't control the fear and it gets the better of me. I don't want to need help.

"You didn't have to cancel your run for me. I'd be okay."

"Donna," Josh sighs, "I know I didn't have to. I wanted to. Rick said he could run later if I want. But even if he couldn't, I'd rather be here with you. I need a little extra time with you this weekend. I need to hold you in my arms and remind myself that you're okay. I have nightmares about Gaza sometimes too."

"You do?" I didn't know that, but I guess I'm not shocked.

"Yes. Please don't shut me out of what you are going through. I think we can help each other."

I'm not really ready to talk yet. But I'm willing to listen. So I ask him- "What was it like last year?"

"I worked almost non-stop because I was afraid to close my eyes. I wanted to reach out to you but I had no idea how you'd react if I brought the topic up. You were barely speaking to me. I didn't want to take any chances that you'd walk out of my life completely."

That sucks. I hate thinking that he need me and I wasn't there, but I don't think I could have helped him.

"I probably wouldn't have reacted very well. One of the reasons I left the White House was because I was trying to keep it all together and I was having a harder and harder time doing it there. Being busy with the campaign definitely helped, just because it was different and there wasn't much time to think about anything else."

Josh holds me a little tighter before speaking again.

"At one point during the weekend, I thought about tracking down what city you were in and just going there so I could see that you were okay for myself. I picked up the phone to call you several times, just to hear your voice, even if you were yelling at me. But I didn't want to do something that would make it harder on you. I even thought about sending flowers but it didn't seem appropriate."

"That never stopped you before, Mr. Our Anniversary is in April."

He gives me a little tickle in retaliation for that comment and I breathe a little easier. It's always easier to banter with him than to have a serious conversation. And I'm still not sure how ready I am to talk about this. But if I don't do it now, will it really be any easier next year? And I don't want to always be moody or withdrawn during this time of year, especially once we have kids.

"I didn't sleep much Memorial weekend last year either. The nightmares were really bad." I pause and take a deep breath. Josh is just listening. Maybe I can do this.

"One of the nightmares is a combination of Rosslyn and Gaza. I'm trapped and I can't get to you."

"Oh, baby." He kisses my head sympathetically but doesn't say anything else, so I go on.

"But, at least when I wake up I know you're okay. The one that really haunts me is Admiral Fitzwallace telling me that he wasn't supposed to die, that he was supposed to be enjoying retirement with his wife, and asking me why I deserved to live when he didn't."

My throat closes and my eyes fill with tears. "I already know it's called survivor's guilt. I just don't know how to make it go away."

Josh strokes his hand down my head and rubs my back. He lets me fight against the tears for a few minutes. When he speaks, his voice is very rough.

"I'm sorry to tell you, I don't think it ever completely goes away. But it gets better. Having a professional to talk to does help me. You are one of the people that's reminded me of that over the years."

"I had my six therapy sessions covered by insurance! I'm cured." I shoot back sarcastically, then regret it. I shouldn't take this out on him. It's not his fault. The six sessions I had were helpful, but I couldn't afford to continue them without insurance. The therapist gave me a check list of things to look out for, and said I could call if I needed to, but I never did.

Josh caresses my arm gently. "We're going to try to fix health care. It kills me to know that you didn't get what you needed. But it's not too late to start talking to someone now, if you want."

Our insurance coverage is a lot better than what I had before and Josh could afford it even if it wasn't covered. But I don't know.

"I'll think about it. I've only had two nightmares in the last 7 months. I think I'm adjusting. And I promise I'll try not to shut you out."

"Okay." Josh responds softly.

I lay in his arms for a while, then I hear the kids playing nearby. I lived. It's time to get up and go do it.

After breakfast, we head toward Hickory Lodge. Several kids race by on scooters. It looks like they're having a great time.

"I don't like those things. They're dangerous." Josh mutters, sounding a little like a grumpy old man.

I roll my eyes. "They're just scooters, Josh."

"Well, they should be wearing helmets."

"Hi Tio Josh! Hi Tia Donna!" Miranda hollers as she passes us in a blur. She is really moving.

Suddenly the front wheel hits a stone and Miranda goes flying. She hits the pavement and skids several feet. It's silent for 3 seconds then a wail like I've never heard comes out of her little body.

By the time I can react, Josh is already running toward her. I don't think I've ever seen him move so fast. He scoops her up and sprints towards the infirmary.

Miranda's screaming echoes through the camp, and several cabin doors pop open. Three of the aunts come running towards us. Dolores tries to take Miranda from him but she clings to him and he doesn't slow down.

"I've got her. Go get Helen." One of the aunts runs off toward Aspen as I follow Josh.

As Miranda's wails start to fade in intensity, I can hear Josh comforting her. "You're gonna be fine sweetheart. I've got you."

The doctor is waiting for us in the infirmary. I assume that the agents gave him a heads up that we were coming.

"What happen?" He asks Miranda but she's still whimpering and clinging to Josh.

"Her scooter hit a rock. She took a hard fall."

"Did you hit your head?" The doctor asks, shining a light into her eyes. Miranda shakes her head no.

"Okay, Mr. Lyman, I'm going to need you to put her on the examination table."

"No!" Miranda shrieks.

"Miranda!" Helen rushes into the room with Matt on her heels.

"Mommy!" Miranda is finally ready to let go of Josh so he takes the opportunity to set her on the table, while Helen takes her hand.

"Thanks, Josh" Matt clasps his shoulder as we leave the cabin.

Once we're outside, Josh bends in half and takes a couple deep calming breaths. It's good to see that he's not really huffing and puffing. He really is getting back into shape. After a few seconds, he stands back up.

"No scooters for our kids, Donna." He says firmly, "that goes for you too."

I bristle a little at the order, but now's not the time for this discussion. He's worked up over what just happened.

"No rollerblades either. Maybe bikes, but only with helmets and pads. And only if we live in a safe cul-de-sac."

Well, I guess we _are_ going to have this conversation now.

"No Football. Hockey is out of the question. Absolutely no gymnastics. Maybe the swim team. . ." Josh doesn't seem to be slowing down.

" _Josh_." I interrupt him before our kids end up doomed to spending their whole lives in bubble wrap. "They're kids. You have to let them be kids. Sometimes they're gonna fall down and scrape their knees. You can't protect them from everything."

His eyes reflect his inner torment. He really does think it's his job to protect them from everything.

"But I can try. I'm telling you. No scooters."

"Okay." I'll give him that one. There is no point in arguing about it now while the little bean is still safely inside of me.

Quite a crowd has gathered around Eucalyptus waiting for an update about Miranda. About 15 minutes goes by, then Matt comes out with her in his arms. One side of her body seems to be covered in white gauze.

"Miranda is going to be fine. She's got a pretty good case of road rash. But nothing's broken."

Josh releases a big sigh of relief, while Matt continues-

"She's going back to the cabin to have a nap, _and_ ** _think_** about why she wasn't wearing her helmet. She's really lucky she didn't hit her head. You all know you are supposed to have helmets on." He levels a Dad death glare at the group of kids standing next to scooters. "If I see anyone else on scooters without a helmet, I'm going to make you really sorry you disobeyed." The kids all look appropriately chastised and even I get a shiver down my spine.

As we walk away, I chuckle a little bit, feeling kind of silly at myself.

"What?" Josh asks curiously.

"Matt really has that Dad voice down. You'd better believe I won't be riding a scooter without a helmet."

"You'd better not be riding a scooter at all, young lady."

"Not bad, honey. Your Dad voice isn't quite as intimidating as Matt's but you're getting there."

He gives me a little sheepish grin.

"Seriously, Josh, you were really good with Miranda back there. You're totally ready for this Dad thing."

With that, he gives me the full-out, mega-dimples grin. The one that stops my heart and starts up other parts of me. Maybe we'll get lucky and be the only ones in the movie theatre and get to make out while we watch Spider-Man 3.

"That was nice! A movie that wasn't animated!" Maria says smiling.

"And Mom said she'd put the kids down for their naps after lunch." Luis adds. "They're probably getting back to her cabin now, so if we hurry up and eat we can have a little more alone adult time!" He wiggles his eyebrows at her and Josh chuckles at them.

"Is this what's in our future?"

"YES!" They say in unison.

"Kids are great, but I'm telling you, _hermano_ , take advantage of the alone adult time while you can." Luis says seriously.

True to their word, Maria and Luis grab their food to go. But we have a nice time chatting with Roberto & Tina and Merisa & Steve. Even though they are quite a bit younger than us, they've got the couple with no kids thing that we can relate to for the time being. They invite us to play cards, but Josh and I decline their invitation, and they head back towards Hickory.

As we get ready to leave, I realize something. "Just a sec, I gotta pee."

When I come back out of the bathroom, Josh is standing there, with a sly smile, holding a bag.

"What'cha got?"

"Strawberries and whipped cream. I thought we could practice taking advantage of alone adult time."

"Good plan, babe. Good plan."

When we're done practicing, it's time for the Santos Family BBQ.

The Camp David staff has been great. Helen wanted it as much like their traditional cookouts as possible, which meant having the kitchen staff purchase the ingredients for Matt's Mom and Sisters so they could prepare most of the food themselves.

Several long tables have been added to the patio and they are covered with food that smells amazing: Salsa Verde Enchiladas, Pulled Pork, Tomatillo Chicken Stew, Jalapeno Cornbread, Refried Beans, Guacamole, Corn Salsa and homemade tortilla chips. There's also a table with typical a "American" BBQ spread: Potato Salad, Macaroni Salad, Fruit Salad and Baked Beans. Matt is grilling hamburgers and hot dogs.

"Josh, Donna, come join us!" Helen calls us over to a table where she's sitting with Elena and Paul. "I saved you seats."

That was really nice. I haven't spent much time with Helen this weekend. She and Elena are such good friends, I haven't wanted to intrude on their reunion.

"You want a beer?" Paul asks as we sit.

Josh looks to me and I nod. I'm not really holding him to my request that he not drink, but I appreciate that he checks with me first.

"Sure, that'd be great. Sam Adams, if they've got it."

As Paul leaves, Josh turns to Elena. "So, got any good stories about Helen?"

"Hell, yeah." Elena responds with a laugh.

"Oh, no. El. Don't give him any ammunition."

"I won't tell him anything Matt doesn't already know." Elena offers but she's clearly warming up to storytelling. She looks at Josh.

"Which would you rather hear: How Helen got her tat or the Story of the Armadillo?" Helen groans out loud but her eyes are still sparkling.

"Both!" Josh says with a grin, clearly enjoying Helen's discomfort.

"You know, Helen and I met while pledging Zeta. We both had all the right pageant titles, but no money. But I helped their diversity quotas. And Helen, well look at her, of course they wanted her. They took us as charity cases. Since we were kind of the odd girls out, we really bonded. We ended up rooming together for three years."

"Best three years of my life" Helen snarks.

"I heard that!" Matt yells from the grill.

"You're gonna get it later." Elena giggles.

"God, I hope so." Helen sighs. "Why'd I agree to take all the kids again?"

"Because you have 2 Nannies and live in a 14 bedroom house now, and you're throwing the rest of us a bone!" Elena rattles back good-naturedly.

"Is this the tat story or the armadillo story?" Josh asks hoping to get Elena back on track.

"That was the background story. Nice job trying to distract me there, Hen, but it didn't work."

"So most of our sisters were okay. We knew that they thought they were better than us, but they think that about everybody. And at least they thought _we_ were better than everybody else. But one sister, Jennifer, was the ultimate mean girl, and after a year Helen had about enough of her."

"God, I hope this is the armadillo story." Josh interjects. He's totally into it.

"Excellent deduction! For the rest of her time at UT, Jennifer had the misfortune of finding dead armadillos in the strangest of places. On her window sill, in the trunk of her car, in the back of her closet. She was convinced it was an old boyfriend but she could never prove it. And the reason she couldn't prove it was because it was our dear friend, Helen here."

"Don't mess with Texas." Helen declares.

Just then Matt announces "Okay everybody. Time to eat."

Helen gets up to stand by Matt. "I guess you'll have to save the tat story for later."

As soon as she leaves, Elena whispers. "It's a good one too. We got the tats after Helen had met Matt and let's just say he wasn't too happy about it."


	34. in memoriam

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was originally published as a stand alone "bonus" story on Memorial Day. But since I'm posting to this site much later, I'm just rolling it into the story. Thus we end up with 2 chapters in a row of Josh's POV.
> 
> Also please note that the italics text is from The Remarks of President Obama at the Tomb of the Unknowns, May 25, 2009. Although for purposes of my story, I am acting as though those are President Santos' words, I have noted it here and cited it in the text- it is not intended to be plagiaristic. I want to be clear. I did not write that.

Wrapping a towel around my waist, I head back into the bedroom to wake up Donna. This mini-vacation has been good, but I need to get back into work mode. This day is going to be hard. In work mode, I can handle hard. But I really don't like subjecting Donna to it. Especially not while she's pregnant.

Today is the first Memorial Day of the Santos Presidency. As expected, President and Mrs. Santos will be attending services at Arlington National Cemetery. As their Chiefs of Staff, Donna and I will be by their sides. I'm sure if we asked, Mrs. Santos wouldn't require Donna to attend, but I know Donna wouldn't dream of asking. Looking down at her sleeping peacefully, I'm tempted. Tempted to ask Mrs. Santos to let her off the hook, tempted to just not wake her up, tempted to use what little husbandly power I have to order her to stay here and relax instead of making this trip.

I won't do that. One thing I've learned is that I can't protect her from everything, even though I desperately want to, and there are things she doesn't want to be protected from, especially things related to her job. I have to choose my battles carefully. Yes, this is going to be hard, but I have to let Donna do it. Because I believe in her, because I know she's capable, because I love her.

Reading our itinerary, it doesn't sound like hard work. Travel to DC. Watch as President Santos lays a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknowns. Listen as he gives a speech. Go with him to place flowers at Leo's grave. It doesn't sound like a big deal, but I'm dreading it.

Adding insult to injury, we're making the round trip on Marine One so that the Santos can come back to Camp David for the rest of the day. Donna hates Marine One. It makes her sick. I hate it when Donna's sick.

I crawl back into bed. At least I can make sure she starts out this day feeling loved and adored. I'm going to make sure the day ends that way as well. And in the middle, we'll try to hold each other up.

I lean over Donna and gently brush the hair off her face. Then I place gentle kisses on her brow, and her nose, and her lips. I trace my finger around her eyes, and down her cheek, and across her chin. Slowly, Donna opens her eyes and smiles at me. This morning is going to suck, but I can face anything with her by my side.

My heart thumps unevenly as I look in her eyes. I love her so much. I just want to spare her any pain or heartache that I can. Even if it means facing this day on my own. The words just slip out before I reign them in. "You don't have to go, you know."

"Yes. But I should go. Helen needs me." She runs a hand down my cheek. "And you need me too." Her eyes go soft, "Today is probably going to be kind of hard for you. You might find me valuable."

"You know I find you valuable. But the last time we flew on Marine One. . ." I don't want to remind her about how bad it really was. "I can handle the ceremony on my own. Helen can handle it too. "

"Josh, which is better? When we face things together, or apart?"

"Together."

"Right. This isn't going to be the easiest day, for either of us, no matter where I am. I'd rather be with you."

"I'd rather be with you too. C'mere." Donna puts her head on my chest and I wrap my arms around her and just hold her for a few minutes. Then I catch sight of the time. Sighing, I put a light kiss on the top of her head. "I think you should probably get ready to go."

About an hour later, we are in Marine One, taking off from Camp David, heading back to DC. Donna looks uncomfortable, one hand is griping the handle on the wall. The other is griping my hand. Very tightly. I'm losing feeling.

"Are you okay?"

"I'm fine." She answers through tight lips. Frankly, I don't believe her.

I watch her carefully for a few minutes, fighting the urge to ask again. Then Donna closes her eyes and leans her head on my shoulder. Well, okay, that works. She stays that way for the rest of the flight.

When we arrive at the Memorial Amphitheater in front of the Tomb of the Unknowns, I'm relieved that none of the traveling has caused Donna to vomit. And even better, she doesn't look like she's about to. She gives my hand another squeeze before she exits the car, face solemn, eyes serious. She walks tall as she accompanies Mrs. Santos to her place in the front of the standing area, looking every bit the professional that I know she is. I'm so proud of her.

I take my place to the right of The President while General Alexander is to his left. We wait in position until the ladies are settled.

"We're ready, sir." An aide tells the President.

"Thank you. Let's go." We walk in slowly, deliberately, while the Honor Guard follows behind us. When we are directly in front of the Tomb, I step back to stand with Donna and Mrs. Santos, while the President and General Alexander turn sharply and stand directly in front of a wreath on a stand. In the distance we hear a twenty-one gun salute.

As the Marine Corps Band begins to play the National Anthem, both the President and General Alexander salute the flag. I place my hand over my rapidly beating heart.

When the music ends, a young Marine brings the wreath to President Santos, then they carry it together to a stand and place it before the tomb. President Santos salutes again, and I place my hand back over my heart, as a Marine plays Taps.

The entire ceremony is fairly short, less than 10 minutes, but very poignant. The only extraneous sounds are the clicking of the press corps cameras.

A moment later, the President turns and walks back towards us. He pauses a second to take Mrs. Santos' hand and they walk up the stairs together, towards the Memorial Amphitheater. I take Donna's hand and follow suit.

Once we are in place, the Secretary of Defense gives a short introduction, then The President steps up to the podium. I get chills as he begins to speak, welcoming the guests to Arlington National Cemetery.

_Here lie presidents and privates, Supreme Court justices and slaves, generals familiar to history, and unknown soldiers known only to God._

_A few moments ago, I laid a wreath at their tomb to pay tribute to all who have given their lives for this country. As a nation, we have gathered here to repeat this ritual in moments of peace, when we pay our respects to the fallen and give thanks for their sacrifice. And we've gathered here in moments of war, when the somber notes of Taps echo through the trees and fresh grief lingers in the air._

_Today is one of those moments, where we pay tribute to those who forged our history, but hold closely the memory of those so recently lost. And even as we gather here this morning, all across America, people are pausing to remember, to mourn and to pray._

_Old soldiers are pulling themselves a little straighter to salute brothers lost a long time ago. Children are running their fingers over colorful ribbons that they know signify something of great consequence, even if they don't know exactly why. Mothers are rereading final letters home, clutching photos of smiling sons or daughters, as youthful and vibrant as they always will be._

_They and we are the legacies of an unbroken chain of proud men and women who served their country with honor, who waged war so that we might know peace, who braved hardship so that we might know opportunity, who paid the ultimate price so we might know freedom._

_Those who rest in these fields fought in every American war. They overthrew an empire and gave birth to revolution. They strained to hold a young union together. They rolled back the creeping tide of tyranny and stood post through a long twilight struggle. And they took on the terror and extremism that threatens our world's stability._

_Their stories are the American story. More than seven generations of them are chronicled here at Arlington. They're etched into stone, recounted by family and friends, and silently observed by the mighty oaks that have stood over burial after burial._

_To walk these grounds, then, is to walk through that history. Not far from here, appropriately just across a bridge connecting Lincoln to Lee, Union and Confederate soldiers share the same land in perpetuity._

_Just down the sweeping hill behind me rests those we lost in World War II, fresh-faced GIs who rose to the moment by unleashing a fury that saved the world. . . ._

_Tucked in a quiet corner to our north are thousands of those we lost in Vietnam. We know for many the casualties of that war endure. Right now, there are veterans suffering and families tracing their fingers over black granite not two miles from here. They are why we pledge anew to remember their service and revere their sacrifice and honor them as they deserve._

_This cemetery is in and of itself a testament to the price our nation has paid for freedom. A quarter of a million marble headstones dot these rolling hills in perfect military order, worthy of the dignity of those who rest here. It can seem overwhelming. But for the families of the fallen, just one stone stands out, one stone that requires no map to find._

_. . ._

_If the fallen could speak to us, what would they say? Would they console us? Perhaps they might say that while they could not know they'd be called upon to storm a beach through a hail of gunfire, they were willing to give up everything for the defense of our freedom. That while they could not know they'd be called upon to jump into the mountains of Afghanistan and seek an elusive enemy, they were willing to sacrifice all for their country. That while they couldn't possibly know they would be called to leave this world for another, they were willing to take that chance to save the lives of their brothers and sisters in arms._

_What is this thing, this sense of duty? What tugs at a person until he or she says, send me? Why, in an age when so many have acted only in pursuit of the narrowest self-interest, have the soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines of this generation volunteered all that they have on behalf of others? Why have they been willing to bear the heaviest burden?_

_Whatever it is, they felt some tug. They answered a call. They said, I'll go. That is why they are the best of America. That is what separates them from those who have not served in uniform, their extraordinary willingness to risk their lives for people they never met._

_. . ._

_This bustling graveyard can be a restless place for the living, where solace sometimes comes only from meeting others who know similar grief. But it reminds us all the meaning of valor. It reminds us all of our own obligations to one another. It recounts that most precious aspect of our history, and tells us that we will only rise or fall together._

_So on this day of silent remembrance and solemn prayer I ask all Americans, wherever you are, whoever you're with, whatever you're doing, to pause in national unity at 3:00 this afternoon. I ask you to ring a bell, or offer a prayer, say a silent thank you. And commit to give something back to this nation, something lasting in their memory. To affirm in our own lives and advance around the world those enduring ideals of justice, equality, and opportunity for which they and so many generations of Americans have given that last full measure of devotion._

_God bless you, God bless the fallen, and God bless the United States of America._

(A/N- Excerpts from Remarks of President Obama at the Tomb of the Unknowns, May 25, 2009.)

President Santos solemnly shakes hands, and returns salutes as we exit the Amphitheater and get into the motorcade to go to Leo's grave. My stomach is in knots. This is Donna's first visit since the funeral. It's only my second. I stopped by one day during transition to tell Leo that I had finally "got it together" and married Donna. I sat there, thought about what advice he'd give me, and made some promises. Now I have something else to tell him.

"Excellent job, sir." Donna says softly, breaking the overwhelming silence in the car.

"Thanks, Donna. And thanks for being here to stand next to Helen. You and Josh may not have served in the military, but I won't ever forget that you've served this country, and you've sacrificed a great deal for it."

The way that the President of the United States, a combat veteran himself, is looking at my wife with gratitude and pride causes my breath to catch, and I have to fight back tears. He's right. She might not have been military, but I sent her to a war zone and she didn't come back in one piece. Thank God she came back alive.

I squeeze her hand a little. She looks over at me. When our eyes met, I see that hers are shining too.

For the few minutes we're in the car, away from the cameras, I can pull her close and whisper in her ear.

"I am so sorry. I love you so much. Thank God you made it back."

My voice breaks a little and I try to pull myself together. I wanted to avoid thinking about Gaza today, but it's just not possible. Those memories will always cast a shadow. I can only hope that over time it lightens.

Donna caresses my face. "I love you." She whispers back to me.

Neither of us says more. Really, we could talk about this for the rest of our lives but there isn't much more to say. Somehow our love survived the unthinkable. Twice.

When the car stops, Donna and I get out of the car and walk over to Annabeth and Bram who hand us a wreath and several bouquets of flowers. Once we are set, I let the President and Mrs. Santos know that we are ready. As they get out of the car, I hear the cameras clicking. I hate that this is a photo op.

Donna and I walk side by side behind the President and First Lady towards the grave. I wish I could wrap my arm around Donna's shoulder or at least take her hand, but we need to maintain decorum. As I look across the rolling greens, dotted with white markers, each with a small flag, an involuntary shiver runs down my spine. So much sacrifice for what we've obtained as a nation. I wonder how much more will be required to hold on to it.

When we get to the grave, Donna and I stand back to let the President and First Lady pay their respects. They place a wreath and some flowers. Then I hear him murmuring a prayer. After they both cross themselves, they turn back to us. They are both stoic and dry-eyed. I wonder if he would cry if he could pay his respects as himself instead of POTUS. I wonder if wishing that it will be 8 years before he can is really being a friend.

"We'll give you two some privacy." Helen tells us.

"Thank you." Donna says quietly. Her chin is already quivering.

As the President and First Lady head back towards the car, the press corps' attention goes with them. Thank God. I really would like this moment to be private, but in my heart I know it's not. Donna and I step up and she reads the marker quietly.

Leo Thomas McGarry  
1948-2006  
United States Air Force  
355th Tactical Fighter Wing, Vietnam War  
Secretary of Labor  
Chief of Staff to President Josiah Bartlet  
Vice-President Elect

"Hey Boss," I greet him, my voice low. "Donna and I have some news. We're having a baby. I wish you were here to meet the little bean. I have so many questions about how to raise a child. . . . And how to guide a President. I wouldn't be here without you. I just wish you were still here."

I take a smooth stone out of my pocket and rub it between my fingers. I guess it's fitting that this one came from Camp David. As I place it on top of the monument, I hear a strangled sob from Donna. Her arms are wrapped around her middle like she's trying to hold herself together.

Decorum be damned. I pull her into my arms while she sobs like her heart is breaking. I knew she respected Leo but this sounds like she's crying for a father. I guess in a way she is. Tears are pooling in my eyes too but I have to stay strong.

I rub her back and let her cry until she says "I think I'm going to be sick." She pulls back from me and covers her mouth with her hand. Her eyes are wide.

"Deep breaths, baby. . . . It's okay. . . . You're okay."

I really don't want her to be sick. She'd be mortified. It's not that unlikely that there are some long-range camera lens pointed at us. And no guarantee that there are friendly photographers behind them.

Donna finally pulls herself together enough to say- "I'm sorry. I didn't think this would be so hard. I know Leo was like a father to you, but I loved him too. You hired me, but he had the final say on giving me the job. He listened to me when I needed him, and he never talked to me like I was stupid. He said I was a "good girl," Josh!" Her voice catches again and the tears start back up.

I hate that our jobs require us to bury our feelings. I'm glad she's letting hers go. I cup her chin in my hand and give her a gentle kiss. "I love you so much. You truly are an amazing woman. I'm so proud of you and I know he would be too."

Tears are still streaming down her face while she lays the flowers on the site. "Thank you for believing in me, Leo. Thank you for letting Josh hire me. Thank you for listening to me when I said he needed help, and thank you for letting him come to me in Germany. I wish our baby could get to know you in person, but don't worry we'll make sure Bean knows who you are."

When she's done, she turns towards me and rests her head on my shoulder for a second. I rub a hand over her head. I wish we could stay like this longer, but we really need to get back to the motorcade. I hand Donna my handkerchief so she can dry her face off and blow her nose.

"How do I look?" She asks once she's done.

Devastated. But that's not what she needs to hear. Instead, I'll give her a different truth. "You are the most beautiful woman in the world." She is. Even with red rimmed eyes and a runny nose. Her love and compassion blow me away.

She looks surprised when I take her hand to walk back to the car, but I don't care what anyone thinks. This is my wife, the mother of my child and she needs my support.

Leo told me not to make his mistakes. And I promised him that I would have a life. The greatest tribute I can give him is to be the best Chief of Staff that I possibly can, while not sacrificing my family. And that's just what I'm going to do.


	35. Chapter 35

"Are you really okay?" I ask Donna for the fourteenth time since we got in Marine One to head back to Camp David.

"Josh, I think I speak for all of us when I tell you that if you ask Donna that question one more time, I'm going to push you out of this helicopter."

Helen snickers and the agents all nod in agreement with Matt's statement.

"I'm fine." Donna insists.

This morning on the trip to DC, she had looked a little sick but she said it was just nerves. The ceremony was intense, but when it was over Donna insisted that she was fine and that she wanted to come back to Camp David. So here we are.

I guess her first experience with Marine One really was due to the morning sickness and not due to the method of transportation. I am glad for that, it will make her life much easier.

As we disembark, the sight of the Marines in their dress blues is all the more sobering. I truly am grateful for their service.

As always, the staff have the golf carts waiting for us. I look to Donna. "Do you want to change first or go get some lunch?"

"Definitely lunch. I'm starving. Then afterwards we can just change into our suits and go to the pool."

"Okay by me."

"This is great. Absolutely heaven." Donna is leaning against me, eyes closed. I have to agree. Somehow we've managed alone time in the pool twice, and we've got this raft thing down.

"Mind if we join you?" Elena's voice breaks the silence. We'll there goes the alone time. But hey, at least she doesn't have any kids with her.

"Not at all." Donna calls out. "How long until the kids descend?"

"They all swam before lunch. They're watching Shrek the Third with Abuela now. We've got an hour."

"Are Matt and Helen coming?" I ask her.

"No, they're spending a little time with Carmen and Dolores before they go."

"Okay then, this is a perfect opportunity for you to tell "How Helen got her Tat. After the look Matt gave you at dinner last night, I gotta hear this story!"

Elena gets a delightfully fiendish look on her face. This is going to be good.

"It all goes back to the sorority. In the early nineties tattoos were just becoming mainstream. Everyone was getting their Greek letters. Most of the sisters just got a little tat in a fairly discrete location that could be covered up on trips home so Mommy and Daddy wouldn't notice it. But Helen's not most people. We went to the cheapest place near campus, planning to get matching ankle tattoos. But the guy at the shop offered to incorporate ZTA into a "lower back tribal tattoo." He drew up a really cool design. When he told us the price, I almost fainted. But Helen just batted those baby blues and the next thing you know, he was offering do it for the same price as the tattoos we had come for. We had never heard them called 'Tramp Stamps' and it seemed like a great bargain. So we did it."

"You guys got tramp stamps because it was a good deal?!" I can't help but laugh, and Elena and Paul are laughing right along. Donna's not really laughing though. She's worrying her lower lip.

"Last night you said Matt was mad about it. What did he do?" She asks Elena.

"This was during our third year of college. I'd been taking her home for visits for a while. And she'd met Matt a few times but they weren't dating or anything yet." Elena's a good storyteller and she's getting back into it.

"Well, it turns out the place we chose for it's price probably wasn't the most reputable place. A couple days after we got them neither of us were feeling that great. Turns out they were infected. Helen really didn't want her parents to know, so we decided to go home to Mama. She took one look and hustled us off to the doctor."

She pauses a minute. "I swear that antibiotic shot in the ass hurt worse than the Tat!" Once again we're all laughing but Donna.

"We left the doctor's with a prescription and instructions to air the skin out as much as possible. So Hen and I were laying on our stomachs across my bed watching TV, in just our undies with our shirts pulled up to the middle of our backs, when Matt storms into the room and starts ranting at us."

"Tramp stamps?! How could you be so foolish? And from some hole in the wall joint? I thought you two were smarter than that!"

Elena's doing a good job copying Matt's booming voice. Paul and I are laughing really hard.

"Suddenly he noticed the position we were in, and says- _I ought to tan your hides._ I've never seen Helen jump up so fast! Her eyes were blazing!"

"What makes you think you have ANY say about what I do with my body?" Now she's imitating Helen to a tee.

And Matt shouted right back- "Well, since I plan to make you my WIFE one day, I think I have plenty!"

"Then Helen used that sugary sweet, prom-queen voice. You know the one I'm talking about, right?" She asks us and I nod affirmatively. I can't wait to hear the rest of this.

"And she says, _maybe you want to ask me out on a date before you threaten to beat my ass_."

"So he did."

"He asked her out, right?" Donna seems a little uncertain.

"Well, yeah." Paul replies "I doubt they'd be married now if he'd beat her!" We all laugh again.

"Right, of course," Donna says quietly.

We float around the pool for a little longer, making small talk and just hanging out. I'm a little surprised when Donna suggests we golf. We had talked about it but I really didn't expect her to be the one to bring it up. I'm not really disappointed when Paul and Elena turn down the offer to join us. I'm always happy to have Donna to myself.

She's about to drive the ball from the farthest tee when suddenly Peter yells " Hi Tio Josh!" as the cart flies across the green. Oh my god, if he gets hit with the ball he could get really hurt.

"Donna wait!" I scream. She turns towards me but she's already mid swing. The club sails over the ball without making contact.

"Owww! Shit. That hurts." Her faces twists in pain. "Ohhh. Ohhh."

"Oh my god. What's wrong? Is it the baby?" My voice is high-pitched as I race up, grabbing her arms to steady her.

"No, it's my back. I twisted it. Josh, it really hurts," she whimpers.

We aren't that far from our cabin. But I don't know if she can walk. Where did those damn kids go with the cart? Where's an agent when you need one?

"Can you walk back to the cabin?"

"I think so." She takes a few tentative steps, grimacing.

Just then I spot an agent checking the green as part of his circuit. "Hey! Come here!" I wave him over.

He runs over. "What is it Mr. Lyman?"

"Donna hurt her back. I want a cart right now."

He lifts his wrist and makes the call for a medical team.

"Should she lay down?" I ask the agent.

"Do you feel like you're going to pass out Mrs. Lyman?" He asks her.

"No."

"Do you want to lay down?"

"Not really. The pain is going away. I think I'm fine. I just need a ride back to the cabin."

"No. You're getting checked out by the doctor." I tell her firmly.

Once the medical team arrives, I turn back to the agent "I want Peter, Jackson, and David delivered to the infirmary immediately." I glance down at my watch. It's just after 3. "Unless they are with their parents and actually heading to the airport."

"Yes, sir. Are they in trouble?"

"Oh, yeah."

When we get to the infirmary, Donna insists that she's not in pain anymore as she walks carefully into the examination room. I help her into a gown and onto the table. As she lays down, I'm surprised but glad to see the Doppler machine. I guess they really do have everything here.

"First things first," the doctor says "let's check the baby's heart beat. How many weeks are you?"

"17 on Wednesday." Donna looks nervous but once we hear the swooshing sound, we both break out into relieved grins.

"Everything sounds fine. I'm not an OB/GYN but the baby's heart rate is in the normal range. If you have any pain in your abdomen or any bleeding, we'll get you to an ER right away."

"No, really, I'm not in any pain anymore. Just it was just a shooting pain for a few seconds, right here." Donna put her hand on her side and around her back a little. "It's gone. Now I'm just a little sore."

"Okay, let's take a look at your back then."

Fifteen minutes later, the agent pokes his head into the examination room.

"They're in the lobby." He announces.

The doctor is still examining Donna, so I lean down and whisper in her ear- "I'll be right back, don't go anywhere."

"Har, har." She responds.

I stride into the lobby and encounter three, slightly pale, slightly trembling boys. I think they might already be regretting their joy ride. I wonder what the agent said to them.

"ARE ANY OF YOU 16?" I thunder at them like they are recalcitrant congressmen. I know damn well they aren't but I give each of them a long lingering look.

"Nnn-no." They each stutter.

I give them a glare, then address them in a cold, seething voice. I am angry and I make sure they know it.

"THEN NONE OF YOU SHOULD HAVE BEEN DRIVING THAT GOLF CART! If you were OLD ENOUGH to drive would have known that it's dangerous to drive right across the green! You could have been hit by a golf ball and been seriously injured. Instead, Donna twisted her back preventing that from happening. So she's laying in there, IN PAIN. They can't take an x-ray or give her any pain medication because it could HURT THE BABY."

I narrow my eyes and look them all over. They look appropriately chastised.

"NOW SIT DOWN! You can go in there in a few minutes and apologize to her."

They all scurry over to the chairs, then another idea hits me.

"No. STAND UP. COME HERE!" Their eyes all bug out of their heads as they stand back up. I direct each of them to a corner and stick their nose in it.

"Stand here and think about it."

"M-m-mr. Lyman?" David quakes, "m-my Mother said I needed to be back at the cabin by 3:30."

He's more scared of his mother than me. Well, that seems about right. I glance at my watch again. I can leave the miscreants where they are for five minutes then release them. It'll probably feel like hours anyway.

"Would you like me to send an agent to tell her where you are right now?"

"NO! Please don't tell our parents."

"Then STAY PUT."

When I get back into the exam room, Donna is sitting up.

"How are you feeling?"

"Just a little sore."

"She okay, Doc?"

"Yes. I don't feel anything out of place. The _latissimus dorsi_ feels a little tight. Donna says that's where the pain was. She probably just tweaked it."

"Is that the medical term for it?" I laugh in relief.

"Yep. That's the one we use. During pregnancy the muscles get stretched out bit any way." He looks back at Donna- "You've probably had some discomfort before right?" She nods slightly.

"What?! You've never said anything."

"Because it's normal and I didn't want to worry you, Mr. Overreaction."

I narrow my eyes at her. I'm getting some good practice with my Dad voice today. "We'll talk about this later."

But this time it doesn't work on Donna. She just laughs at me. Damn.

The doctor interrupts our banter. "My prescription is take a hot-bath. If you weren't pregnant, I'd send you to the hot tub. That should relax the muscle. A little stiffness or tenderness is normal, but if you have any more pain or if your back seizes up and you feel like you can't move let me know, or follow up with your doctor back home."

"Thanks Doc." She starts to get up.

"Hold on. Can you lay back down? I've got to finish dealing with the rug-rats."

I go out, grab David by the ear, a move I learned from Donna, and lead him back into the exam room, stopping by Donna's head.

"Do you have something to say to Mrs. Lyman?"

"I'm sorry you were hurt, Mrs. Lyman. I shouldn't have been in the golf cart without a grown-up."

"Are you going to tell my parents?" He still looks really scared. Now that I know Donna's fine, I'm actually a little concerned for him. He's not afraid of getting beat or something is he? Matt's mentioned his strict catholic upbringing before, but I'm not sure how far down that's carried, especially given his threat to Helen and Elena.

"No. That's up to you. As far as I'm concerned, if you are really sorry, we're done."

"I am, I am."

"Rules are for a reason, David." Oh my god, I really _am_ ready to be a parent. "Okay, you can go."

He races out the door, as I grab first Jackson, then Peter and repeat the process twice.

Once Peter's left, Donna gets dressed slowly.

"Are you in pain?"

"No, really, I'm just a little nervous. You know how it is when you are afraid to make a wrong move."

"Okay, but seriously Donna, I want to know if you have any pain, or stiffness or soreness. Please don't keep things from me because you think I'm going to over-react."

"Josh, you suggested that they carried me in here on a backboard!"

"Fair enough. If I promise to try not to over-react, will you promise to tell me everything?"

"Yes."

"Okay, then."

Donna continues to insist that she's fine, but I'm taking the hot bath prescription seriously. Our cabin doesn't have a tub, but Aspen does, so that's where we'll go.

Leaving Donna in the cart, I knock on the door. Matt actually answers it himself.

"Josh! I'm really glad to see you. Can you tell me why my son is in his room laying on his bed sobbing? The only thing I can get from him is _Tio Josh hates me now._ "

"Um, no. I can't tell you that." Matt raises his eyebrow at me. "But I _can_ come in and talk to him." I hope Matt remembers what he told me when he made me an honorary uncle. Peter doesn't need me to report his behavior to his father. He needs me to help him grow up.

Matt doesn't say anything so I continue. "The reason I'm here is Donna tweaked her back while we were golfing. The doctor suggested a hot bath and our cabin doesn't have a tub. Can we borrow yours?"

"Of course! Does she need help walking?"

"Nah, I've got her. Once I have her settled, I'll talk to Peter. Okay?"

"Yep. Anything I need to know?"

"No. It's between me and Peter unless he chooses to tell you. I think I can handle it."

"Good man. I'll let Helen know we've got guests."

After I'm satisfied that Donna is comfortable in the bath, it's time to talk to Peter. I hope I can find the right words.

I knock lightly on his door while opening it. "Hey buddy." I call out softly. He doesn't answer but his soft sniffling stops, so I know he's awake. I sit down on the side of his bed and try to think about how my Dad would handle something like this. Tentatively, I reach out and rub Peter's back for a minute.

"I don't hate you. I'm not even mad at you any more."

"You aren't?" He slowly sits up.

"No. Do you remember Mr. McGarry?"

Peter nods, his eyes solemn.

"He was a friend of my Dad's. But, when I worked for him, I got my self into quite a bit of trouble more than once. When he yelled at me he'd say "now I have to whack you with a two by four!"

Peter's eyes get really wide- "you're not gonna whack me are you?"

"No! God, no, Pete, I'd never hit you. Leo didn't actually whack me either. He just meant he had to give me a lecture."

I see Peter's shoulder's relax a little.

"He was like a father to me. Even when was yelling, I knew he loved me. _Sabes que te quiero, ¿no?_ "

Peter throws his arms around me. _Sí, yo también te quiero, Tio Josh_.

{Translation: You know I love you, don't you? Yes, I love you too, Uncle Josh.}


	36. Chapter 36

The shower turning on wakes me up, as it often does, but instead of trying to sneak in another 15 minutes of sleep, I sit up and pull my shirt up so I can look at my bump. It's grown considerably in the last three weeks.

"Hey, little bean. Today's the big day. What do you think? Should we find out if you are a little girl or a little boy or should we be surprised? You know Daddy is anxious to find out. I promise, we'll be happy either way, but he just likes knowing things."

"Hey beautiful. You're awake." Josh comes out of the bathroom. There are droplets of water on his chest and he's got a towel wrapped around his waist. I wonder if we can afford to be late today. Probably not since we need to leave early for the ultrasound. Damn.

"Hey. Oooh! C'mere, feel this." Josh rushes over and puts his hand the bump. A few seconds later, a mega-wyatt grin breaks out over his face. I don't care if the baby is a boy or a girl but I hope the little bean has those dimples.

"That is so amazing!" Josh breathes. He's only been able to feel the baby this past week and he's pretty captivated. Last night he spent three hours with his hand caressing my belly hoping for a kick. Unfortunately we don't have that kind of time right now.

"I'd better jump in the shower." I tell him, starting to get up. His face falls like a little boy who just got his favorite toy taken away, but he gets up and drops his towel. Now, that's really not playing fair.

"So have you decided yet? Are we going to find out?" He asks me eagerly as he starts getting dressed.

"Not really." I answer coyly as I head toward the bathroom. I'm leaning towards finding out just because he really wants to know, but there's no reason not to tease him a little. "While I'm in the shower, you could think of ways to persuade me into finding out."

"Here you go." Josh hands me a breakfast sandwich as soon as I walk into the kitchen. Half a bagel at the office no longer cuts it for me, and Josh has risen to the occasion. I really am impressed at his recently acquired culinary skills.

"Thanks, Babe." I take a huge bite. "yummm, so good. You're the best!" He beams at my praise. God, I'm just so happy. I guess they call it domestic bliss for a reason.

"Here. Drink some water." Josh hands me an insulated cup. I wish it were coffee, but I'll do anything for the baby. Next he hands me my vitamins and I swallow them as I finish the water and refill it. It's hard to get those 64 oz in.

I don't think he meant the sandwich to be a bribe, but if he did it was a good one. Food is pretty persuasive for me right now.

"Thank god, it's lunchtime. I'm starving. I really hope the guys can join us." Helen grins back. She's pretty pleased with herself. Once she heard the rumor that they're having a light day, she made plans to kidnap them and drag them up to the residence for lunch. A deli tray from Crupin's will be ready when we get there. Mmmm, a giant roast beef sandwich, and some potato salad, and a dill pickle.

"Anyone in there?" We ask Ronna when we arrive.

"Just Josh, you can go in." She smiles at us.

"Hey, pretty ladies." Matt greets us.

"Can you join us for lunch? We've got something special planned."

"I don't know. Can we Josh?"

"Josh looks at his watch. Yeah, that'll work, we can go over the NCAA Championship Reception stuff while we eat."

"Okay." Matt grins at him and takes Helen's hand. "Ronna! We're going to the residence for lunch. Tell Margaret. And get some lunch yourself."

"Yes, sir."

We've completely covered the agenda for Monday's reception and we're about finished with lunch when Josh's phone rings.

"Josh Lyman."

"Hi Margaret."

"Yes. Alright, we'll head there now."

Josh's face morphs into his all business mode. I get a chill. This can't be good. He stands up and buttons his jacket.

"Sir, we're needed in the Sit Room. There's been a helicopter crash in Kazakhstan."

"Fatalities?" The President asks.

"We don't know."

"Hostile Fire?"

"We don't know."

"Alright, let's go."

Josh shoots me an apologetic look. "I'm sorry, Donna, I don't know when I'll be done."

"Don't worry about it."

"I'll call you when I can."

As the guys stride out of the room, Helen looks at her watch.

"Your appointment is at 4:30?"

"Yeah."

She gives me a small, sad smile. "That's still a few hours from now. Maybe they'll be done in time."

"Maybe." I answer softly but I know better than to get my hopes up. If the helicopter was shot down by either side our role as a neutral policeman is probably over. What's happening in the Sit Room right now is more important than finding out the gender of the little bean.

At 4, Josh calls. "I'm so sorry. I can't leave. There were 5 fatalities and we are still waiting for verification regarding the cause of the crash. I have to stay."

"It's okay. The President needs you."

"You need me too."

"Josh, it's okay. Really. I'd like you to be there but we'll be okay."

"But I want to be there." His voice is sincere, not whiny. He's not pleading with me, he knows what he has to do, he's just making a factual statement.

"I know. Do you want me to cancel?" I really don't want to. This is an important appointment. They'll be checking for abnormalities and all sorts of things. I'm anxious for the reassurance that everything is okay. Plus, my detail already vetted this ultrasound technician, and they made special arrangements for the scan be the final one for the day. If I cancel I don't know how long it will be before I'll get in again.

"I'll go with you." Helen offers.

"Helen said she'll go with me."

"Okay. Yeah, you should go without me. I'm really sorry, baby. Really."

"I know. When I'm done I'll come back here. I'll wait in the residence until you are done."

"Okay. I love you."

"I love you too."

"Thanks Helen. I guess I'd better call Ron."

We're a little late, but when you bring the First Lady no one seems to mind. The ultrasound technician has finally stopped giving nervous glances at Helen but hasn't said a word in 20 minutes. She just keeps moving the wand around, clicking buttons and typing. I'm starting to get worried. Sometimes it actually hurts when she pushes hard on my stomach. And I really have to pee.

I really wish Josh was here holding my hand. The tech pushes the wand down again and I can't help the slight "ow" or the tear that trickles out of the corner of my eye.

"Sorry," the tech mutters, "I need a few more measurements."

Helen moves closer to me and puts her hand on my shoulder. "Are you okay?" She looks concerned. Now I'm really nervous.

"Is something wrong?" I whisper. "Dr. Andrews normally talks to us during the ultrasound and it never takes this long."

With that the tech looks up. "I'm sorry. Since I'm not a doctor I'm not supposed to really say anything during this part. I'm just taking a bunch of pictures and measurements. This is a level 2 ultrasound so it takes longer. Please don't assume anything is wrong."

"Oh, okay."

"Just a few more minutes, then we can get to the fun part."

"Is that the part where I get to get up and go to the bathroom?"

"Eventually. But first, I'll show you the baby's heart and hands and feet, and I can show you if it's a boy or girl if you'd like to know."

"My husband really wants to know, but I don't want to find out without him. Can you write it down and put it in an envelope?"

"Sure."

"Do you already know if it's a girl or boy?"

"Yeah."

"How sure are you?"

"Well I never say I'm 100% sure, but in your case I'd say I'm 95% sure and by the end of this appointment I might even raise it to 99%."

"Okay, that's pretty confident."

"Yep. I've been doing this a long time."

A few more minutes goes by, then she turns the screen towards me so I can see it.

"The baby is about the size of a banana now." She shows me a profile. And clicks a button and the machine whirs a bit.

"Here's the heart. You can see the four chambers. The baby's heart rate is 168. Here's the brain. This is the spine. Here's a good view of the baby's face." The baby's face is pretty squishy. She clicks and the machine whirs again printing a couple more pictures.

She moves the wand down. "Let see if we can get some good pictures of the feet." Sure enough, a few seconds later she's got one then both feet on the screen.

"Ohhh. They're so little." Helen coos. I'm glad she's here even though I'd rather it be Josh.

The tech prints a couple pictures of feet, then hands. She has quite a few for me. That'll please Josh a little. I'm sure he's not happy about missing this at all.

"Well if you wanted to find out the gender, this is when I'd show you. But since you'd like to find out with your husband, I'm going to turn the screen. If I get any good pictures for the reveal, I'll put them in the envelope for you. Does that sound okay?"

"Yes. Thanks."

"Will you and Josh open the envelope while you're in the residence? I want to know too!" Helen asks hopefully.

"I don't know. I'm going to let Josh decide. He's the one that really want to find out the gender now. And since he missed this appointment, maybe getting to decide when to open the envelope will make it up to him."

"Okay." Helen answers a bit dejectedly.

"Don't be too depressed. Josh doesn't keep secrets well. I'm sure once he finds out the whole city will know. I wouldn't be surprised if you see an ad in Roll Call."

Helen laughs. "True, but if he knows how much I want to know, he might not tell me just for spite." She's sort of right, but it would be just for fun.

I see the tech raise an eyebrow and I'm reminded that we shouldn't talk so freely with someone else in the room. HIPPA covers information about my medical condition but not someone talking about their observation of our relationship with the President and First Lady.

Once were back in the limo, Helen says "That was fun! Thanks for letting me come with you."

I really appreciate how she makes it seem like I was doing her a favor instead of the other way around. I'm sure Ron wasn't thrilled with the short notice that she wanted to attend. I think it helped that my own detail has vetted the Doctor's office and I usually get the last appointment of the day on Friday.

"Thanks for offering. That wouldn't have been much fun by myself."

"So, what do you think? Boy or Girl?"

"I don't know. I'd just be guessing and I don't want to guess then be wrong. What do you think? I heard there is a baby pool."

Helen blushes a little. "I've got boy born November 7 at 12:15 am, 7lbs 1oz, 21 inches long."

"Wow, you picked my due date?"

"You are a very punctual person, Donna."

"Why 12:15 then?"

"CJ Cregg already had 12:00, Margaret had 12:05 and Charlie Young had 12:10. 12:15 was the first open slot on your due date. Seem like I'm not the only one who figures the baby might take after you."

"Ah."

"I want to have a baby shower for you." Helen announces as we pull up to the portico

"Here?"

"Yes, I'm sure Ron would rather have it here than have to secure a different location."

I start to giggle, I mean, it's crazy right? Ten years ago, who would have thought that the location of my baby shower would be dictated by the secret service.

"Everything okay, Donna?"

"Yes, just momentarily overwhelmed by the insanity of my life."

"I hear ya, sister."

At 6pm, Helen rounds the kids up and we sit down at the dinner table. There are covered plates for Matt and Josh too. It's nice to have an executive chef for those days you're a little busy. She must have put the order in when she decided to come with me to the doctor's office.

Fifteen minutes into dinner, the guys walk in. Josh looks haggard. I immediately walk up to him and wrap my arms around him and he emits a deep sigh.

"Hey, you all done down there?" Helen asks.

"No." Both Matt and Josh frown. "But we needed to eat. And someone was getting very anxious to see his wife." Matt gives a bemused look Josh's way.

Helen raises one eyebrow. "And the other one?"

Matt recognizes danger when he sees it. He walks up to Helen wraps his arms around her and whispers something in her ear that makes her blush. I hope Josh and I still react to each other that way fifteen years and a couple kids down the road.

Finally, Josh finds his voice. "How'd the appointment go?"

"Let's go into the sitting room for a minute." I'd like a little privacy. I'm sure we'll end up telling Matt and Helen everything but Josh deserves to get to make his decision about opening the envelope, and his reaction if he does, without an audience.

I lead him into the West Sitting Room and sit down on a sofa. Josh sits down next to me and wraps his arm around my shoulder so I can snuggle into his chest. How to begin? Should I try to give him a play by play?

"Donna? Do you have bad news to tell me?" Oh shit! I didn't mean to worry him.

"No. I don't really have any news!" I exclaim, a little frustrated. "It was really intense. The tech hardly said anything and sometimes she was pressing so hard it almost hurt. And we have to wait for the Doctor's appointment for them to tell us anything!" My voice breaks a little and I immediately feel bad. I didn't realize I was so stressed out about this, and it's really not fair to Josh, he's already under enough stress right now.

"I'm sorry I wasn't there." Josh kisses the top of my head. His voice sounds really sad.

"No. I'm sorry." I sniffle, "I didn't mean to yell. It's not your fault. I'm not upset with you. It was just more stressful than I expected."

He holds me a few minutes. "Did you find out if the little bean is a boy or a girl?" He asks me quietly.

Well hey, at least I can make up for yelling at him. I sit up and pull the envelope out of my blazer pocket with a flourish.

"No. But I had her put that information in this envelope." I hand it to him. "What you do with it is entirely up to you. You can open it now, or you can wait if you'd rather. Just don't lose it!"

"Really? I can open it now? I could use some happy news right now."

"Yes, you can open it right now."

I watch Josh's face carefully as he opens the envelope. He looks ecstatic. I honestly don't think I've ever seen him smile bigger. People keep asking us if we want a boy or a girl, or if we have any sort of gut feeling about it. It makes me feel like I should, but I really don't. I really don't think it matters to me. I don't think one gender or the other will make me happier. And now, seeing Josh's reaction, I know it's true. No matter what that card says, I'm going to be thrilled because Josh is over-the-moon happy.

"Well?" I want him to tell me. I don't want to just read it.

He stands up, and pulls me to my feet, then picks me up and twirls me around. Then he whispers in my ear and I feel a smile break out on my face too.


	37. Chapter 37

"Okay. Are you ready? Do you have yours?"

"Yes, right here." She holds up an index card. Of course. I'm surprised it's not color-coded. She looks at me for a minute then narrows her eyes. "Where's yours?"

"Right here." I smirk tapping the side of my head.

"Nuh-uh, Josh! We said in writing. You better have a piece of paper with your chicken scratch on it somewhere."

"Harsh. You really want to compare handwriting samples? Because we could delay this conversation and bring in an expert, you know."

"Ughh!" She flops back and crosses her arms. She's glaring but her eyes are sparkling.

I grin a little. Sometimes it's so easy to get her spun up. And I have some good ideas how to burn off that energy. I'm very tempted to kiss that little pout right off her lips. Somehow I fight back the urge. I've been looking forward to this discussion all day. I highly doubt that I'm going to get my choice in the long run. But I'm happy to be part of the process.

I let her stew a minute, while I grin at her, waiting to see how long before she smacks me.

" _Josh_." I grin even bigger at her one word warning. She's so ready to be a Mom.

Finally, I lean over and give her a little tiny kiss, then I pull a piece of paper out of the drawer in my night stand. It's legible and everything.

"Relax, Buttercup, I got it right here." She tries to snatch it out of my hand. But I hold it out of her reach. "Oh no, little miss rule-maker. You said a simultaneous exchange. So here we go. One, . . . two, . . . three."

She rolls her eyes as I drop my list in her lap while taking the index card from her hand. God, she's so cute.

As I look over her list, one word comes to mind. BORING! I mean they're all perfectly nice names. They're just very common. I think they all probably made last year's Social Security Administration list of top 10 most popular names.

I try to plaster a smile on my face and think of something nice to say. When I look over at her, she's giving me the same look. Huh.

We stare at each other for a few moments with polite smiles. Finally, she breaks the ice-

"Well? What do you think?"

"These are all . . . _nice_. . . . What do you think of _my_ list?"

"These are all . . . _interesting_."

She hates them. I can tell by how she wrinkles her nose. God, she's so adorable.

We stare at each other for a few more minutes in polite silence.

Suddenly Donna laughs. "We haven't been this, I don't know what's the word? Disingenuous? with each other in a long time. Even when we were barely speaking to each other at least we were honest."

Well, that's not exactly true, we spend a long time hiding our true feelings from each other, but she's right we never had a problem being honest about other things.

I laugh too. "How can we be so in-sync about everything else and so far apart on baby names?"

"I don't know." She looks a little bit worried for a second. I don't want her to worry. We'll find something that we both like eventually.

Finally she looks me in the eye- "Be honest. Is there even one name on my list you'd pick?"

I look her list over again. Of course, she's got them listed in order of preference: Olivia, Emma, Ava/Eva (that was sort of cheating), Sophia, Hannah.

I honestly wouldn't pick one of these, but there are a couple that I can live with, and if she has her heart set on one of them I'm sure I'll love it eventually too.

"I don't hate them. I'd just prefer something with a little more pizazz. But you know I'm probably going to come up with some sort of a nickname for her so I could live with these, if I have to."

"I still think you are just being polite. Do you like any of them more than the others, or for that matter dislike any of them more than the others? Seriously, be honest, I can take it."

"Um, I'd really like to eliminate Sophia and Emma, really, they're just way too popular. And I have a second or third cousin named Hannah so I'd drop that one too."

"Okay, that's fine. I'll cross those off and keep Olivia and Ava on my list."

"And Eva too, you little cheater. Don't think I didn't notice that you really had 6 names on your "top 5" list."

I waggle my finger playfully at her and pretend to be cross. I'm just teasing, but I use my stern voice, so her eyes get a little smoky. Then she bites her lip. God, she knows that turns me on.

"What are you going to do about it?" She whispers, tracing her hand up my chest.

Oh no, she's not going to distract me with sex right now. I at least want a chance to discuss my list.

"Minx." I grin at her and put my hand over hers to stop it from going lower. "We already know you have the power to render me completely at your mercy. Can we at least pretend to consider my list?"

"Sure." She sits up and folds her hands demurely in her lap. I definitely didn't win this round. Who am I kidding? I have absolutely no chance of ever winning. I am putty in her hands.

"Thank you, _Donnatella_." She smiles slowly when I say her name. It's like the sun coming out. Focus man.

I reach over and take my list from her lap, then start reading the names slowly, imagining a little version of Donna. My heart swells to overflowing. I want something unique and lovely, something fitting for our little princess. I hope Donna can hear how special each of these names are. "Natalia, Jianna, Luciana, Cordelia, Leonora." I read them in reverse order, saving the best for last.

Donna smiles softly as I say the names, but then she snatches the paper back from me.

"Okay," her tone lets me know she's getting down to business. "Since we eliminated some of mine, I think we need to eliminate at least 2 of yours."

I brace myself, expecting the worst.

"I don't like Natalia at all. Jianna is okay but we might have a boy someday and I'd like to keep Jacob on the list and I don't like the idea of them starting with the same letter. So I'd like to get rid of that one too. That leave Luciana, Cordelia and Leonora for future discussion. Are you okay with that?"

"YES!" Wow, those are the two I would have eliminated anyway. This is great. Much better than I expected.

"Thank you!" I give her a big kiss on the lips. Maybe we can table this discussion for now and find something else to do. I give her another, small kiss on the lips, hoping she'll pick up on my thoughts. But she's not ready to move on yet.

"You know, our lists did have something in common."

"What's that?"

"They all ended in the "ah" sound after all. I guess we really did end up channeling my Mother."

"It's okay, isn't it?" I really like the "ah" ending. If we end up with Olivia at least it has that.

"Yes. I mean we can still add to the list later if we want to. I just think this is a good place to start."

She's still looking at the lists. But I've started kissing her neck a little. Just lightly. Just enough to let her know I'm thinking about something other than names.

"Hey, I just noticed something else."

"What's that?" Her hand is running up and down my chest absent-mindedly and that's encouraging, but also not helping me concentrate on the conversation.

"Neither of us had Aurora on our list even though it's been on the master list for weeks."

Sighing a little, I sit up a bit more. I guess we're really not done talking yet.

"Yeah. It's pretty, but I just couldn't get over the Disney Princess thing."

"Me too."

"See. Still in-sync."

"So, here's my plan. I'm going to write these six names on index cards and tape them around the house. We'll play with them for a while and see if something feels right, okay? In a couple weeks, we can eliminate a couple more."

"Okay."

"I'd also kind of like to keep the names to ourselves for a little while. People are so opinionated. I don't want anyone to spoil something for us. I also wouldn't mind waiting until she gets here to make a final decision. Maybe go to the hospital with a couple options and then see what fits her best?"

Donna is so amazing. Of course she's got a plan. A logical, practical plan for how to name our daughter. Our baby girl. I'm so happy, I could cry, or laugh, or both. I want to scream it from the mountaintops, or take out an ad in Roll Call. Over the course of my life, I've had real doubts about the existence of a higher being, or at least one that is loving and kind, but I'm going to have a daughter! Maybe there is a god.

"Earth to Josh? Can I get approval of my plan?"

"Of course. God, I love you. Both of you." I lean down and kiss her belly. "My baby girl."

"You know, a lot of guys seem to want a boy first to carry on the family name. But you really _do_ seem happy that she's a girl."

"I _am_ really happy. I like girls. I hope she's your mini-me. All blonde hair, and blue-green eyes, and a mouth full of wiseass."

"Be careful what you wish for there, bucko, I'm probably going to have to remind you of this conversation when she's 13."

"I hope she _is_ just like you Donna. She'll be perfect. I'm the luckiest man alive!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hate to beg for reviews. But I'm hearing crickets out there. Maybe it's because everyone has already read this on the other forum. Anyway, if I don't get feedback on this site I'm going to stop posting my stories here. So if you are out there and you only read on this forum. I need you to let me know. (This story is complete and I've started working on the next installment.)


	38. Chapter 38

A strong kick followed by Josh's low murmur wakes me up.

"That's my good girl. Show Daddy how strong you are, Lulu."

My fingers naturally find the curls at the base of his neck and I run my fingers through his hair as he rests his head on my stomach. His hand gently rubs where Luciana just kicked. No, I don't think that's going to work for me. Lucy's cute though. I wonder if Josh would go for that, then he could still have his Lulu as a nickname.

"Happy Father's Day!" I greet him. I thought about trying to surprise him with breakfast in bed, but he wakes up so damn early.

"Good morning." He grins at me. He looks so much younger when he's happy. This weekend started out very stressful, but it got better. I hope today is relaxing and enjoyable for him.

"So. . . breakfast in bed? Or did you already eat?"

He looks a little sheepish. "Um, I saw the donuts by the coffee maker. You know District Donuts are my weakness. I had one after my run. It was really good. . . . I hope you don't mind."

"Nope. I left them where you could find them on purpose. Maybe some day little Ava and I will be awake earlier than you and we can surprise you."

"Ava?"

"Just giving it a test run. I heard you call her Lulu this morning."

He looks sheepish again.

"Hey, it's Father's day. You can call her whatever you like today."

His face lights up. "Okay." He turns back to my belly. "Good morning Leonora." He says it with the soft Italian sound and my heart does a little flip. It's perfectly awful, but he says it with such reverence.

She gives him a good strong kick in response. "See she likes it." He tells me with confidence.

"Maybe that means she hates it. Our baby could be the first to rebel in utero."

"Never. She's a good girl. Aren't you Cordelia?" No response from the baby. Hmmm.

"Ugh. Cordelia Lyman sounds like an 80 year old spinster librarian."

"Is that a bad thing?"

"Yes! Geez, can you wait until she's born before you start planning how to sabotage all her dates?"

"I suppose." He puts his cheek back down on the bump "You're not allowed to date until you're 30, got that, Lulu?"

Baby girl kicks him in the face. She's a feisty one. But he grins, very pleased. He looks back at me.

"So, is that a no on Cordelia? I thought we were going to wait a couple weeks to cross more names off the list?"

"Well, it is Father's day. And that is one of yours, so it stays for now. But yeah, I wouldn't get too attached to it."

"Don't worry, I'm not. You can cross it off now if you want."

"Speaking of Father's Day, I'm surprised you showered without me."

"I wanted to get my run in early. I didn't know what you had planned for today, and there's a Mets game tonight." He looks hopeful. "I was pretty disgusting when I was done. I definitely needed a shower before I got back into bed. Trust me."

"Well, I know how much you like lazy, naked Sundays, but I am going to need to get showered and dressed at some point. And I'd like to go for a walk or something. Dr. Andrews would like for me to get a little more exercise."

"I can think of a way to get some exercise." He wiggles his eyebrows.

"More exercise! She said. I'm already counting the sex in my daily totals."

"Okay then, get up and put some clothes on. We'll go for a long walk around the neighborhood."

"But I'm hungry." He rolls his eyes at me. I'm not doing a very good job of making this day about him so far. At least I got the donuts! "I'm sorry. Let me start over. It's your day. What would you like to do?"

Josh scoots up the bed and takes my face in his hands and then gives me a long, lingering kiss. I should have known what he'd want. . . . . Yes, this is nice. . . . . Food can wait. . . . This works as exercise. . . . . Mmmmmmm.

Several minutes later Josh pulls back. "I'd like you to get dressed and put on some exercise clothes. I'll drive us over to Book Hill Park. We can stop at a café on the way."

He's a good man, that Joshua Lyman.

Then it hits me. "Did you say drive us? As in- you'll drive our car? Not we'll take the town car?"

"Would you like that?"

I would but it's Father's day. It's supposed to be about him. I try not to get too excited.

"Whatever you want is fine. _But, really_?"

"Yeah, I had a chat with Ron yesterday, once we determined that the helicopter crash wasn't hostile fire and the conflict still appears to be in a stand-off, I told him I'd like to see us get a bit of normal back. He still wants us to use the driver to and from the White House, and obviously for any official business. But he said we could start using the car again on weekends, if we'd like."

"What about the agents?"

"They're still going to be stationed at the house. They'll follow in the SUV. But they'll give us a wide perimeter."

A big smile break out on my face. "Yes, I'd like to go for a ride in the car with you ."

He looks really pleased with himself and rightfully so. I grin at him while I whip off my sleep shirt and boxers. And he watches as I put on some black cotton capris and a wicking t-shirt. Then I throw my hair up in a pony-tail.

" _I'm_ ready." I raise an eyebrow and look him over. He's still sitting on the bed in the buff. He grins again. Then gets up and quickly gets dressed. I think we are both really looking forward to this.

After a lovely piece of quiche from a French bakery, Josh pulls into the park and helps me out. I haven't had much time to explore the Georgetown area. This is a nice little park. We stroll hand in hand up the curving stone steps. Then walk through the greenhouse and gardens at the top of the hill. Then back down the other side and over the bridge, stopping just to stare at the small stream for a few minutes.

There is an agent trailing us but he's far enough away that we aren't drawing any attention. This is really, really nice.

"Enough or do you want to go over to Dumbarton Oaks? It's only a few minutes from here." Josh asks as we get back to the car. I've always wanted to go there, but it's an all day kind of thing. I think it would be better if we save it for later.

I really don't have a lot planned for today. I was figuring we'd do carry out at some point and I knew he'd want to watch the Mets game. I probably should have planned something better. He did such a good job at Mother's day. But I do think he'll like his presents. And this walk is turning out very nice. I could keep going a bit more.

"Sure, if you want to, I'm okay to walk some more. But I'm fine if you want to go home, or just go for a drive. This is supposed to be your day."

"I'm spending it with you, so this day is wonderful. I'm really happy doing whatever you want."

"Let's just walk a little bit more here, then head home. We should probably pick up something for dinner on the way. I didn't get any further than District Donuts."

"Alright."

I guess one nice thing about not planning it in advance, Josh got exactly what he wanted for dinner. Pizza and Beer. He seems really happy, sitting on the couch watching CNN. And the game will be on before too long.

"Hey, I've got some presents for you."

"You didn't have to get me anything. You're giving me the greatest gift of all." He rubs my belly appreciatively.

"I wanted to get you something. I think you'll like it."

I head into the guest room and gather the packages. Neither of us is very inventive with the hiding place.

"Here you go." His eyes light up as I set 3 gift bags on the coffee table. He might say he doesn't need anything, but he's still a big kid. He likes opening presents.

"Is there any particular order I should open these?"

"Not really." He grabs the shiny royal blue bag first. He pulls out the tissue paper, then he grins as he pulls a 3 pack of Mets onesies out of the bag. There is a blue one, an orange one, and a white one that sort of looks like a baseball. It's my favorite.

"Did you think we were having a boy?"

"No. Those are unisex. But once we found that she's a girl, I ordered a tutu. Look at this!" I pull up a picture on my phone. It's multi-layered tulle in Orange, Blue and White. "It will match all three onesies perfectly!"

"And get some bows too!" Josh exclaims, "some big-ass bows!" He stares at the photo for a minute with a grin on his face. I can tell he can't wait to be bouncing the baby on his knee while watching the game. He's going to be a great dad.

I shove the second package towards him and he pulls out the paper. "You've got to be kidding me. These are freakin' adorable!" He's holding the itty bitty Mets high tops and socks up. "Are her feet really going to be this small?"

"Well, smaller to start. I got everything in 6-9 month size because she'll be bigger by the start of baseball season."

"You're brilliant." He gives me a big kiss.

"It's okay that I got these, right? They are for YOU not the baby. But if you want to share them with her you can."

"Exactly right. Thanks babe."

He reaches for the last package. The white one with blue and orange tissue paper sticking out. Even though it didn't really matter, he ended up picking the order I would have handed them to him.

He pulls out the matching father-daughter baseball caps. They are going to look so cute together.

"There's something else in there."

He tips the bag upside down causing the envelope to fall into his lap.

"Tickets for games in August and September, here against the Nationals! Awesome! Thanks, baby."

He leans over and gives me a long kiss. "This was the best Father's day yet!"

"Well, I think next year will be better. You know, since Olivia will be here to drool all over you."

"Livy?" He tries out the nickname. It doesn't really sound right. The way he says Lulu really is cuter.

"You can still call her Lulu if you want, you know. It can be your special name for her no matter what name we end up picking."

"Well _that's_ the best Father's day gift you could have given me!"

Well, no, I think I've still got a better gift for him than that. I leave him in the living room, and head to the bedroom to get ready for my last surprise. I smirk to myself. He's going to find it hard to concentrate on the game.

I quickly undress then slip on bright orange lace cheeky panties, over that I put on my new Mets jersey. I bought it before I popped, so it's a little too small right now, but I don't think Josh will mind. I just fasten one button about a quarter of the way down. It gives me lots of cleavage and let's the bump stick out a bit. Finally, I put on his lucky Mets baseball cap. I hid it last week. As long as he sees it before the game starts, he won't freak out, so I've got a bit of time. I look myself over in the mirror. Well I certainly couldn't go to a game like this, but I'm pretty sure I'm going to make one fan pretty happy.

Josh is pretty comfortable on the couch with another beer. He doesn't look up when I walk in. Well, that's not going to do. I walk around the couch towards the television, being sure to sway my hips just a little. It's the way I've gotten his attention for years. Then I bend down and pretend to look for a book on the shelf next to the television.

When I hear a large gulp behind me, I know he's gotten a glimpse of the panties. I turn around slowly. "Mind if I join you on the couch and read while you watch the game?"

"Uh, no."

I didn't think so.

As soon as I sit down, Josh wraps his arm around me and tries to slip his hand into the top of the jersey.

"uh-uh. You don't get to second base until they do."

"Are you serious?"

The look on his face is priceless.

"What's the matter? Not enough faith in your team?"

I almost feel sorry for him when the Mets only manage to get 1 runner on base during the first three innings and that was because he got hit by a pitch.

To make matters worse, they're playing the Yankees. Toby keeps sending Josh texts, razzing him over the score. He's only had one little kiss and the Yankees are up 5 to nothing. If the Mets don't make something happen soon they're going to ruin Father's day!

In the 4th inning, Josh perks up. "Go man, go!"

But Reyes ends up getting caught trying to steal second.

"So close, Babe!" I'm trying to be encouraging, but I'm getting frustrated too. I was planning on getting some action here.

Finally in the 5th, Valentin doubles to Right Field.

"Yes! Thank God!"

Josh jumps up and pumps his fist. Then he looks down and smirks at me then pops open the button on the Jersey. He bends his head to the task and doesn't even seem to notice or care when Green leaves Valentin stranded after a pop fly.

I sigh in relief and wind my fingers through his hair. Neither of us pays attention to the game for the rest of the inning.

But then the Sixth inning starts and Josh turns back to the game. The Mets leave me restless until the Seventh Inning, when Wright ends up on first after a wild pitch. Josh gives me a chaste kiss on the lips.

"First Base."

"That's it?!" I can't help but whining. A girl's got needs and these guys aren't doing much for me.

Josh raises an eyebrow at me as Delgado takes the plate. He hits a double, causing Wright to score.

"YES!" Josh and I both cheer. Thank God.

"The Mets score, so I get to score too. Right, baby?"

"Hell, yeah."

He grins and reaches back into my shirt, palming my breast. "I've got a man on second too."

"I'm starting to like baseball."

In the 8th inning, Josh tweaks my nipple with a grin as Castro's hit is ruled a ground rule double. But then Castro scores on a single by Beltran.

"That's 2 runs." Josh wiggles his eyebrows. I don't say anything but if I'm only getting 2 orgasms out of this, I'm not going to be a Mets fan for very long.

The Mets don't manage to score again and the game ends after the top of the 9th with a final score Yankees 8, Mets 2. Josh's phone immmediately buzzes with more harassing texts from Toby. Josh really looks in the dumps. I guess I'll have to find away to cheer him up.

"Hey, man, at least they scored."

"Yeah, but I'm still upset that they lost. What crappy timing."

"It's okay, they'll get 'em next time."

"Yeah, but now you can never wear that outfit during a game again. And I really liked it!"

Is he serious? Is he really this superstitious? Yes. Yes, he is. Well. That won't do. I get up from the couch, taking off the baseball cap and dropping it in his lap.

"Yeah, you're right." As I walk toward the bedroom, I let the jersey slip off and fall to the floor.

I look back over my shoulder. "You probably better get these panties off me as quickly as possible. I mean, we wouldn't want there to be any lingering effects. What if the baby turns out to be a Yankees fan?"


	39. Chapter 39

I love the mornings. Especially now that it's summer. Donna's kicked off the covers and is sleeping in just lacy underwear. Since she's still asleep, I can really study her body. It's fun to study her when she's awake too, because she gets embarrassed and blushes everywhere. But the blush usually distracts me from my examination, not that I'm complaining since it leads to a mutually enjoyable activity. But in the morning when she's asleep, I can take really take my time. Sometimes I try to count the freckles on her arm, or I scrutinize the edges of the scars on her legs. Studying the scars too long brings tears to my eyes. The scars do seem to be fading, and I know they will, but the searing pain in my chest when I think about the moment I heard that she was in that SUV never will. I shake my head and try to clear the memory. She's right here. I can reach out and touch her. And eventually I _will_ reach out and touch her, but having her safe in our bed allows me to be patient.

Today my focus is on her belly. It seems like it's gotten bigger overnight. It's not a basketball yet but it is a cute little ball. According to the book, the baby is about the size of a coconut. Her bump is a little bigger than that so I guess that's about right.

There are some slight pink lines just under the bump. Stretch marks. They are sweet. Proof that her body has had to work to make room for the baby. They'll probably always be there now. A reminder when we are old and grey and the children have all moved out. That tugs my heart a little. I shouldn't think ahead to that time when we haven't even got to enjoy them living with us yet. I tend to jump ahead. I shouldn't do that. I haven't even held Lulu in my arms. I run my hand over the bump. And then place very gentle kisses on the lines.

Donna will probably wake up shortly anyway so I don't worry about keeping my voice low.

"Good morning, Lulu." I can't help but smile as she kicks my hand. I really do think she's starting to recognize my voice. Donna laughed at me for insisting on reading a story to her belly every night but it's paying off.

"Is this how it's going to be now? You tell her good morning before you tell me?" Donna's looking down at me grinning. I can tell she's just teasing me.

"You were sleeping."

"So was she until you started talking. She loves the sound of your voice."

"She does, doesn't she?" I grin at Donna.

"She takes after you." Donna responds wryly.

That was a good one, hardly the first time she's accused me of loving the sound of my own voice. I tease my fingers along her sides making her squirm a little. God, she's beautiful. I wish I could spend all day like this, but I do have a little bit of work to get done in the office and the sooner we get it done the sooner we can get back to our Saturday.

I place a few light kisses on Donna's belly. "I love you, Lulu," I tell her before I sit up. Time to pay attention to Mama.

"Good morning, Donnatella." I say her name in the husky voice she loves, and lean down to give her a kiss. Once I have greeted her properly, she smiles at me. That never gets old.

"Good morning, Joshua." She rarely uses my full name. And usually not when I'm being good. It's nice. It gives me a warm fuzzy feeling. I'm going to spend this whole day relishing it.

"I've got a couple hours worth of work in the office. Are you coming with me?" She's never actually said no, but I always ask. Donna could probably do her job without ever needing to work on Saturdays. We haven't really talked about what's going to happen once Lulu arrives but I think our Saturday mornings together at the office are drawing to a close. I'm going to find it hard to go in without them.

"Yeah, I want to review the final plans for the Fourth of July festivities next week. But I could do that in your office. Unless you have meetings?"

"Nothing scheduled. Let's get going. It's a beautiful day. The sooner we get in the sooner we can get out and enjoy it."

I've just finished making her breakfast when Donna comes into the kitchen wearing a cute summer dress. It's white, with large blue flowers on it. It's got little sleeves. The neckline is modest. Sort of a v-neck, but not really. The white part comes to a v-shape, but then it's got blue material under it so there is no cleavage. It's really cute but also perfect for the office. I've never seen it before.

"Is that new?" I ask stupidly. I mean it has to be.

But Donna smiles at me, she's always pleased when I notice this kind of thing. I think some how she still doesn't believe that I _always_ noticed what she was wearing.

"Yes, Helen and I went shopping at lunch last week. I really did need a few more things that fit and were appropriate for work."

Silly girl. She never has to justify spending money on herself. She rarely does it.

"And look at this." She pulls the blue material away from the white part of the dress and pulls her breast through the opening. I feel my eyes bug out of my head. I thought the dress was cute before, but now . . .

"Wow." I'm having a hard time forming a coherent thought. That's amazing. I feel like I might be doing an imitation of Gail.

"It's a nursing dress." Donna tells me when I fail to say anything else.

"Want to practice?"

" _Josh._ " She admonishes me as she puts herself back together.

"Hey. I'm a guy. You can't pull that thing out in the middle of the kitchen and not expect me to get ideas."

"When Ava gets here you're going to have to share you know."

"Happily. Are we calling her Ava today?"

Donna just shrugs. She's so cute. Sometimes she spends an entire day on one name and sometimes she rotates through the list. Ava and Olivia get a lot more air time then my choices. I pretty much call the baby Lulu all the time now. It was part of my Father's day present. Honestly, if I can call her Lulu no matter what, I can live with either of Donna's choices even though I really prefer something a little more unique.

"Let's get going." Although honestly, I don't know how I'm going to get anything done now that I can see what that dress can do.

I look out the window as I close the last briefing memo. It really is a beautiful day.

"Let's go have lunch outside somewhere!" The smile on Donna's face tells me it's a great idea.

"Could we go over somewhere near Georgetown? Then we could walk around the University. I've never been."

"You've never been to Georgetown University? You've lived this close for almost 10 years and you've never toured the campus?"

"No."

"Okay. Are you starving? Should we go home and change first? Are those shoes comfortable?"

"These shoes are fine for me to walk in. I'm ready to eat anytime."

Of course she is. She's always ready to eat these days. I love it.

"Okay then let's go."

"What about you? Are your shoes comfortable? Do you want to change?"

I've got lightweight summer dress pants and an oxford shirt on. I discovered early on that I'm not really comfortable wearing jeans in the office anymore. I'm not quite at Leo's level of all suit all the time, but I'm definitely dressing nicer.

"I'll roll up my sleeves. I'll be fine."

As we head out of the office, I let Phil know what our plan is and we're on our way. I sort of wish we'd brought the car this morning. But Ron would still rather we use the town car to and from the White House. The university is only a few blocks from the Brownstone. If she wasn't pregnant, we could walk from home but I don't want to tire her out too much.

And I will admit, the detail helps us get a table quickly at the Peacock Cafe. Donna spends quite a few minutes looking over the menu before sighing softly.

"Did you make up your mind?" The waitress keeps circling around. She's clearly ready to take our order.

"I want a salad."

"Okay."

"And these sandwiches look really good."

"Okay. Well, get both."

"I kind of want a hamburger. . . and some fries."

I try not to laugh. The days of her having just a yogurt for lunch are over. "Anything else?"

She looks over the menu one more time. "Fried calamari?"

I wave the waitress over.

"I'll have a burger and fries."

"How would you like it cooked?"

"Medium Well?" I look at Donna, who nods and rewards me with a wide smile. She doesn't like them well done. This way she can have a few bites of my lunch.

"For you, Ma'am?"

"I'll have the half sandwich and salad. Ummm . . . . the Sophia Loren, but no brie on it. And the Med Salad. Oh! And I'd like a strawberry banana smoothie."

I smile at Donna. She's never going to eat all of that but it makes me happy to see her with an appetite. So I turn to the waitress and say- "Bring us an order of Calamari too."

"You're going to eat Calamari?" Donna's eyes get wide.

"God, no." Octopus? Are you kidding me?

After lunch, Steve pulls up near the Georgetown University Chapel. It's a good place to start, as long as there isn't a wedding. Which on a Saturday in June at 3pm is a small miracle. Steve will go find some place to park while Phil and Jackie follow behind us.

There is a lovely courtyard with a fountain. Donna gives a little squeal as we get out of the car. Her face absolutely lights up. This is my favorite thing, watching her discover something new.

As we stroll through the campus, it just keeps getting better, Donna is in awe.

"This is unbelievable. It's so majestic. Is Harvard like this too?"

"Better."

"I'm sure. I hope we can visit there someday."

"We'll definitely go before Lulu is ready to start college tours. I want to make sure it's number one on her list well before then."

I grin at her, expecting some sort of banter back. She just smiles sadly at me and looks away. "Of course."

I'm not exactly a mind reader, but I can tell when something is bothering her.

"Hey. What's the matter?"

"Nothing, I just wish . . ." She stops herself. I can see wheels turning in her head and her shoulders have slumped a lttle. I do know this look. This is the look she gets when she's mentally putting herself down.

We stop in front of the political science building. I take her hands and look right into her eyes.

"What do you wish, Donnatella?"

I think I already know the answer but it's really important that she say it for herself. I don't ever want her to think that I think she's lacking in any way.

"I wish I had a degree. I wish I'd taken some classes at night like Charlie did. Sometimes I still feel like a fraud. Everyone else has degrees, even Ned! Someday Lulu is going to ask, and I'm going to be the loser that dropped out."

"Donna, you'll never be a loser. Look what you've done with your life! I'm so proud that you are my wife. I'm glad you are the mother of my child. She's got a great role model."

"Thanks." She tells me softly, leaning in for a hug. I hold her for a few minutes. I hope she knows how much I love her. I hope she doesn't feel any pressure, but I think I am going to have to bring this up. I don't know if she ever will on her own.

"You know I'm proud of you, but if you want a degree, we can make it work. You could hire a deputy chief of staff to take some of the work load off, and you could take a class or two each semester. I bet all your years in the White House would count for something. And you probably have most of your gen eds from the University of Wisconsin already. I bet you could get a bachelor's in about a year and a half."

"You really think so?"

"Yes. Should we check into it? Do you want to go back to school Donnatella?"

She looks up at me with shining eyes. "I do. I really do. Do you really think I have time?"

"Yes. You rarely bring stuff home in the evenings and you really don't need to work on Saturday mornings. You could take an online class."

"I'll talk to Helen and see what she thinks."

"Okay. I'll start checking out schools for you. What do you want to study?"

She looks at me like I have two heads. I didn't want to be presumptuous, but then we both laugh and say "Political Science!" at the same time.


	40. Chapter 40

Usually, neither of us is very excited to get out of bed on Sundays. Josh usually manages to sleep in a little bit, then reads until he can't help himself and then he wakes me in very pleasurable ways. Sometimes I feign sleep. He likes little games, He says he likes working a little harder for the payoff. He never disappoints.

I'm practically purring when I finally open my eyes.

"Hello, there, beautiful." He greets me. "Good morning."

"Very good, so far." I give him a little smirk. "What else you got?"

He grins back at me. "You're insatiable." But he starts kissing his way up to my mouth.

Before he arrives, I ask him saucily, "You complaining?"

"God, no. And don't worry. I'm just getting started."

On a normal Sunday, we'd lay around for a while afterwards, until my stomach starts to growl, Then Josh would act put out as he got up to bring me some breakfast in bed.

But today's not normal. As soon as our heartbeats have returned to normal, Josh is ready to start the day.

"Come on, we need to get in the shower. We need to be out of here within the hour."

They may be my niece and nephew, but I think Josh is more excited about Conor and Anna's visit than I am.

We arrive at Washington National 45 minutes before their flight lands. Scott isn't thrilled about that, but Josh refused to back down.

"They are minors. I don't want to take any chances of them arriving before we do. I want to be waiting at the gate for them."

I finally convinced him that Kathy could meet them at the gate with a sign with their names on it, and that she could bring them to a secured VIP lounge to meet us. Scott was much happier for us to wait in private. But now Josh is pacing. My little worrywart.

"Relax, Josh. Conor turned 15 in May, and Anna just turned 14 last month. They are old enough to travel alone. They met Kathy at Easter. I'm sure they'll be impressed to have a secret service agent waiting to meet them at the gate."

"I'll just feel better when they are safely on the ground." He checks the flight arrival screen once more and let's out a relieved sigh. Their flight has landed.

"Come and have a seat. It's going to take a few minutes for the plane to taxi and then de-board."

He plops down next to me, but since he doesn't sit still well, he immediately begins to rub my belly. Well, I don't mind that so much.

"Don't get any ideas here, Lulu, I'm not letting you out of my sight until you're 40!"

I can't help but laugh at him. He says it so seriously, even though I know he doesn't really mean it. Still, it's worth some teasing. "That first 10 years of her dating is going to be rough."

"What?"

"You already told her she could start dating at 30. If you don't let her out of your sight until 40, the first decade of dating is going to require a lot of your attention. And what happens when we have other kids?" I won't even mention the fact that he's going to be 85. Please god, let him be there for all of her dating, no matter when she starts.

"Really, Donna, do you have to rain on my parade here? At least let me pretend that the teen years, dating and eventually marriage isn't going to come before I'm ready."

"Okay, honey, I'm sorry. I promise, she'll be your little girl forever. Even when she has a little girl of her own."

"Oh my god, someday we'll be grandparents."

"Did this thought just occur to you?" I highly doubt it. His mind is always moving ahead. "Just enjoy this moment. Okay, babe? We get a practice run with teenagers. That's enough of a glimpse into the future for now."

"Uncle Josh! Aunt Donna!" Anna enters the room with a flourish. She's wearing oversized sunglasses, a cute blouse, denim mini-skirt and Ugg boots. Every time I see her she looks more mature. Bob's going to have to beat the boys off with a stick. I'm not sure that Josh seeing teenage Anna is going to do any favors for Lulu's future dating timeline.

"Hey, guys." Conor says quietly. He's got the teen look down too. Linkin Park T-shirt, earbuds with the cord running into the pocket of his cargo shorts. Sneakers.

"Hey you two!" Josh's eyes bug out for a minute when he sees Anna, but he stands up and gives them a grin. "Come give us a hug!"

"Wow, Aunt Donna! You really look pregnant now." Anna gushes as she rushes over to me. She pats my belly a little before hugging me.

Conor gives Josh a manly half hug. Then hugs me gently, while Anna throws herself into Josh for a bear hug.

"Thanks for letting us visit on our own! This is going to be so much fun!" She squeals.

Josh grins at them both. "We're glad your parents let you come. DC during the 4th of July is a fun place to be. You'll get an inside view of the White House, President Santos is having a BBQ and then we'll watch the fireworks from the Truman Balcony, And of course we'll do some sight-seeing. But first let's get your luggage and stop at home, then we can get some lunch. Are you guys hungry?"

"We already have our luggage. Aunt Donna told us to pack everything in a carry-on and a backpack. We're only going to be here a week."

Josh looks at me in awe. Shouldn't he be used to this by now? I am the queen of packing!

"Okay, let's go, I'm starving."

"This is really cool." Conor says under his breath, as we drive along Memorial Parkway.

"It never gets old." Josh grins at him. "You know, you could come to college here. You could intern at the White House."

"I don't know. I'm only a Freshman. I don't really know what I want to do yet."

"Well, I guess we have a week to show you the wonders of Washington DC- maybe you'll be inspired."

"What about you Anna?" I ask her.

"I want to be a teacher. Like Uncle Finn & Aunt Julie." Well, that will be a blow to Josh's ego.

But he smiles at her, "teaching is a great profession. I'm sure you'll be fantastic. Are you looking at colleges yet?"

"Not really. I'll probably go to UW, like Aunt Donna did."

That's a sobering thought. I hope she doesn't take after me and drop out for some loser. All the more reason for me to go back and get my degree. I could finish before Anna graduates High School. I could be a better example to her.

"Is that the Washington Monument?" Conor asks pointing out the window.

"Yes. And that's the back of the Lincoln Memorial." Josh looks pleased at Conor's interest.

A few minutes later we pull up in front of the Brownstone.

"Here we are!" Josh announces excitedly. I know he's got some big plans for their visit. I think he really wants to impress the kids. I hope he doesn't go overboard. Teenagers are more impressed when they discover things on their own. Did he learn nothing from Tyler in Indiana?

"Anna, you're in the guest room. Conor, you're in the den. There is a bathroom right here for both of you to use. There is another in our bedroom, which is through the kitchen."

Josh follows Conor to the den and shows him the pull-out couch.

"Is this going to be the baby's room?" Anna looks around disappointedly. "It really doesn't look like a nursery yet."

"Yes. Jewish people don't usually buy gifts or prepare the room in advance. It's part of their traditions."

"Oh. Aren't you anxious to decorate?"

"Well, yeah, but I want to respect Josh's heritage too. I still might paint in here soon, just because it needs it."

"What color are you going to paint?"

"I'm thinking a sage green. Then some pink accents."

"That sounds really pretty. I'm so glad you are having a girl! There are enough boys in this family."

I can't help but giggle. The boys are only ahead by one. This just evens things out.

"So what's her name going to be?"

"Honestly, we don't know yet. Our top three are Oliva, Ava and Leonora."

"Leonora? Grandma Moss would love that."

"She and Uncle Josh seem to be on the same wave length. That's his first choice too."

Speak of the devil, Josh and Conor appear at the door.

"All set? Shall we go get some lunch?"

"Do you two like Mexican? How about Burrito Brothers of Capital Hill?"

"Sure!" Conor quickly agrees.

"Okay." Anna seems a little reluctant.

"It's made to order. Even Uncle Josh likes it." I give him a sly grin. It's not his favorite either, but I've been craving Mexican.

"Alright. I'll give it a try." Anna acquiesces. I wonder if it will be like this all week? I hope there are some things she genuinely likes about this visit.

"You might want to put some different shoes on, Anna," Josh suggests. "Those don't really look that great for walking around in."

"Oh, I'm fine! These are super-comfortable." She responds. I don't know. It's pretty hot out for boots, but I'm not going to argue with her. Some things you just have to learn for yourself.

Once we've finished lunch, Josh asks where they'd like to go first. I'm glad he's checking with them.

"Can we go to the top of the Washington Monument?" Conor seems excited about the idea.

"Sure. Do you want to take the elevator or the 897 steps?" Josh smirks at him.

"Elevator!" Anna and I say at the same time, beating Conor to the answer. Neither of us wants to take any chances.

The view from the top is pretty amazing. You can see for 30 miles on a nice day. I haven't been up here since I first arrived in DC.

"You remembering?" Josh asks wrapping his arms around me from behind and leaning his chin on my shoulder.

"Yes, I am."

"You too are so cute." Anna says with a sigh. "Did you come here on your first date or something?"

"Not really. But this is a special place to me. Really, this whole city is."

"Why is that?"

"You were about 3 when I left Wisconsin and joined the Bartlet for America campaign. It was hard to leave my family and everything I knew, but I really needed a change in my life." Someday I need to tell her why. I really do want her to learn from my mistakes.

"And that's when you met Uncle Josh?"

"Yes. We had a fantastic time traveling around the country in busses and on planes. It was hard work but we met a lot of great people and I got to see so much of America. And I found a new best friend."

Josh gives me a squeeze and places a light kiss on my cheek. Conor rolls his eyes.

"When the campaign was over, I was really proud of the work we did and the fact that we got a good man elected President, but I didn't expect to move to Washington. Pretty much everyone else had degrees in political science or law or communications, and I didn't."

"But I was too smart to let Aunt Donna go. She proved to me 100 times over that she was valuable, and smart, and funny. I had found my best friend too."

"So I moved to DC and for a little while I felt like a country bumpkin. Even though Madison is a pretty big city, it's nothing like this is it?"

"No." Anna and Conor agree.

"Josh showed me how to use the Metro, and bought me season passes to all the museums, and gave me guided tours of all the monuments. He made me feel at home here."

"So what about the first time you came to the Washington Monument?" Anna senses there is a story.

"She made us take the stairs! Both up and back down! The next day at work we were so sore could barely sit. We got crazy looks from everyone all day, we were both moaning and groaning so much." He laughs lightly at the memory.

"Hey, I figured it's something you should do at least once."

"Maybe we should make these kids walk down." Josh teases.

"No! Please, Uncle Josh. My softball coach already wants me to run every day. Please don't make me do stairs." Anna sounds pretty desperate. Conor looks mildly interested in walking down but he's being a good cousin and keeping his mouth shut.

"Okay. We'll run together instead. I get up at 5."

Anna groans softly and mutters under her breath. "I thought this was supposed to be a vacation."

Conor smirks to himself. I think he's really glad he's a musician and not an athlete.

We move on, and I'm pleasantly surprised that both kids seem to really enjoy the Lincoln Memorial. It's one of Josh's favorite places and I think he would have been disappointed if they'd been disinterested.

They both walk around it reverently, and Josh puffs up a little when strangers stop to listen as Conor reads the Gettysburg address out loud, then Anna takes a turn with the Second Inaugural Address.

Conor has a small camera, which he hands to me. "Aunt Donna, can you get my picture here?"

"Sure . . . Honestly, I didn't know you were this into history, Conor."

"I'm taking AP U.S. History next year. I figure at some point I'll have to do a report and these photos will probably come in handy."

Josh absolutely lights up at Conor's announcement. "That is so exciting Conor! Good idea to be prepared. Are you going to take AP Government after that? I'd love to help you with both those classes. We could even prepare something this week. Maybe you can start out history with extra credit."

Conor looks a little overwhelmed at Josh's offer. He really seems to like Josh but he's much less out-going. I think sometimes Josh's intensity makes Conor a little nervous. I remember feeling the same way when I first got to know him myself. Maybe another story will help Conor feel less intimidated.

"You know, Josh made me write a report after I first visited the White House."

"No, he didn't." Anna comes to Josh's defense.

"Really?" Conor looks to Josh for confirmation.

"Well, yes, but in all fairness, she was my Assistant at the time. I wanted to know what she had learned about the White House from her perspective. Even if you already know something, it can be really helpful to see things from a different angle." He pauses a minute and gets a gleam in his eye.

"And since we are telling stories, I might add that if I was grading Aunt Donna's report, I'd only give it a C+."

"HEY!" That ticks me off. "I've always been a good student why would I only have gotten a C+?"

"Well, little Miss Iodine Tablets, your report didn't include that there was a nuclear missile silo under the Eisenhower Putting Green!"

"I thought you already knew that!"

"Wait? There's missile silo at the White House?" Conor looks really interested now.

"NO!" Josh and I both say together.

"Aunt Donna fell for a prank and it ended up published in a magazine. But if she thought it was true, she should have included it in the report to make sure I took the Iodine too. Thus, C+."

I give Josh a glare for not including his foible in the story. "Don't let Josh fool you, he fell for it too. I completely turned the tables on him. He even went to Sam for legal advice on my behalf."

I'm acting upset, but really, I'm not. Michael told me what he was like during that fake interview with NSC. Josh hadn't even known me a full year, but he'd said "I'd vouch for Donna with my life." How could I not fall in love with him?

I wrap my arms around Josh and whisper in his ear- "You hate taking pills. I was planning on crushing them up and putting them in your lunch."


	41. Chapter 41

It's 5 a.m. To wake Anna, or not to wake Anna? That is the question. She did agree to run with me last night, but it was clearly under duress. It was a difficult choice between getting up early or running on the thread mill. I understand where she's coming from. I prefer the outdoors too, but running on the treadmill is much more convenient most of the time because of my schedule, and the fact that I don't really like to leave Donna home alone, even if there is an armed agent standing just outside the door.

I tap very lightly on the door to the guest room and it swings open. "Anna?" I call softly. I don't want to intrude. When there's no response, I peek in and see her still sound asleep. She looks so much like Donna, it's eerie. I wonder if Lulu will look like this when she's a teenager. I wonder if she'll want to go for a jog with me. I wonder if I'll still be able to jog. My heart thumps unevenly at the thought. I have to take care of myself.

I'm going to let Anna sleep. She just looks too peaceful to disturb. We'll find some time to run together later and I'll just hit the treadmill for now.

At 6:30 I walk into the den to wake Conor up.

"Get up, Conor, we need to be out of here in a half an hour." He sits straight up and immediately responds.

"Sure thing, Uncle Josh."

I find Donna almost finished dressing when I get back to our room. Darn. Missed opportunity. But she smiles and greets me, "good morning."

"Good Morning, Donnatella." I say pulling her into my arms for a few quick kisses. With teenagers in the house, and the time pressure we're under, I restrain myself from going any further.

"Hey, can you go get Anna going, while I started toasting bagels?"

"No problem."

Ten minutes later, I hear the shower in our room start. A few minutes later Donna joins me in the kitchen.

"Well, that was fun." She states sarcastically, taking one of the bagels and spreading some cream cheese on it. "I think I'm going to need my cup of coffee right away."

"Our Anna isn't a morning person?"

"Definitely not."

I grab Donna around the waist and pull her tight to me. "I guess she takes after her Aunt." I place a light kiss on Donna's nose. She wasn't the easiest person to get going when we first got married.

"I'm sure it's just a teenage thing. Speaking of which, is the other one moving? I sent Anna into our bathroom so Conor can use the guest bath."

"I woke him up earlier. But I haven't heard the shower. We'd better check."

Sure enough, Conor is still in bed. It's going to take a small miracle for us to make it to the office on time.

"CONOR!" I bellow right over his head. He shoots upright again.

"I'm up, I'm up."

"Oh no. I'm not falling for that twice! Get up out of bed now, walk to the bathroom and take a shower. You have 5 minutes. Come on. Get moving."

I'm smart enough to wait until he actually gets up, grabs some clothes out of his suitcase, and walks into the bathroom, before I walk back into the kitchen. Then I pick up my phone and give Margaret a call. I don't want to worry her. I think we'll be there by 7:30 but we are not going to set any records this morning.

I heave a little sigh of relief once we are all in the car and it's moving. Getting two teenagers and a pregnant wife out the door should come with hazard pay. Still, the kids look good. Donna must have briefed them on what to wear. Conor has dockers, and oxford shirt and a tie on. Anna is wearing a summer dress with sandals. The dress is a little short if you ask me, but Donna said it's fine. Anna also has a sweater draped over one arm.

I greet Larry at the security desk and introduce the kids with a grin.

"This is our nephew, Conor and our niece, Anna."

Larry smiles at them. "Nice to meet you. I need your full names and social security numbers."

"Adrianna Alexis Anderson" Anna rattles off.

"You've got to be kidding me!" I knew Bella liked alliteration, but that's kind of over the top.

"You're hardly one to talk, Uncle Josh. I heard your first choice for the baby is Leonora Lulu Lyman."

I give Donna a little glare. I thought we were keeping the names to ourselves. She just shrugs at me. Well, okay then.

Once I've finished signing them in, the kids are each given a generic visitor's pass. They seem suitably impressed, but I have something better in store. While Donna and I are in Senior Staff, an intern is going to take them over to personnel and get them badges with their pictures on them. They'll make great souvenirs.

Sure enough, when we're done with the meeting, the kids are back with Margaret. They both seem pleased with their badges. They're the same ones we use for "Take Your Child To Work Day." Not close enough to an actual WH badge to worry about someone re-creating it, but the teen version looks official.

"Okay you two. Ready to meet the President?"

They both get a little wide-eyed. They remind me so much of Donna's first few times meeting Governor Bartlet, and then again, in the beginning after he became President. I might tease her about the bambi-esqe naivete, but it's one of the things I love about her. These kids too. How did I get so lucky to get to be part of this family?

Conor stands up and wipes his hands on his slacks. He must be a little nervous. Anna grins and stands up as well. "Ready." She announces for both of them.

They follow me through my office, then into the oval. President Santos looks up from what he's reading as we stand in front of the Resolute Desk.

"New staffers, Josh?" He teases.

"Yes, sir. It's their first day so, I figured they are ready to brief you on Education Reform."

Conor's eyes get a little wider. So does Anna's grin. She definitely thinks its a joke.

But to their surprise, Matt replies "Excellent! This report is boring I'd rather talk about the changes we need in education from some experts. Come on, let's sit down over here and have a chat."

As Matt gets up, Donna herds the kids over to a couch. I'm pleased to see that neither of them sits until Matt takes his normal chair. Donna really has coached them well.

"So Anna," POTUS looks her right in the eye, "what do you think about making the school year longer?"

I'm glad he's giving Conor a chance to warm up. He seems a little surprised that President Santos knows their names.

"Well, sir, I wouldn't mind that much. I like school, that's where my friends are, and since I play Softball I'm already used to having to get up in the mornings for practice even during summer."

I roll my eyes a little. I saw no evidence of that this morning! But even thought her answer has surprised me, Anna's doing a good job speaking to the President. I'm not going to interrupt her.

"I guess I wouldn't mind going year round as long as we got more breaks during the year. Maybe a whole week off every 6 weeks or so."

"So you don't think you'd get burned out?"

"No, sir."

"What about you, Conor?"

Conor gulps and looks to Donna quickly. She nods and smiles at him. She really is great at unspoken support. I wouldn't be where I am today without it.

"I don't know about year round school. I really like summer break. But I guess towards the end it starts to get a little boring, unless you have job or sports. I think we could probably cut summer break down a little and most kids wouldn't _really_ mind."

"What about the teachers? Do you think they'd mind?"

"Oh. I hadn't thought about them. They'd get raises, right?"

"Yes." Matt chuckles a little. "We wouldn't ask them to do more work without getting more pay. I think teachers are already underpaid!"

"I think my teachers would be okay with it. Several of my classes already have summer homework and the teachers already respond to emails. Some of them offer tutoring in the summer too."

"That's interesting. Which of your classes have summer homework?" President really does look interested in everything Conor and Anna have to say, he really is treating this like a briefing. I'm so proud to work for him.

"AP English has a summer reading list, and we have to write a report using examples from at least two of the books. AP US History has a movie list, we have to watch them all, then pick one and write a report on whether the movie was historically accurate."

"Which movies?" Matt likes historical movies.

"National Treasure, Cinderella Man, The Alamo, Miracle, The Fog of War, Seabiscuit and Saving Private Ryan."

"Have you already watched them all?"

"No. I'm about half way through. I haven't seen Saving Private Ryan, Seabiscuit, or The Fog of War. I saw National Treasure and Miracle when they first came out, but I'm going to watch them again this summer."

"Donna?" Matt looks at her, "see what you can arrange, okay?"

"Yes, sir."

Conor looks a little confused. I won't spoil the surprise, but I bet he's going to have the opportunity to watch at least one of those movies in the White House theater with the President of the United States.

"Well, thank you both for that very enlightening briefing. I really appreciate it." The President stands up and Conor and Anna immediately follow suit. I'm so proud of them.

"Enjoy your day here. I'll see both of you on Wednesday at the BBQ, right?"

"Yes, sir."

The President heads back to his desk and I glance at my watch. Donna was able to mostly clear her schedule this week, but I do have a couple meetings that I need to take today. We usher the kids back into my office, where I immediately head to my desk.

"This is your office, Uncle Josh?" Conor sounds fairly impressed.

"Yes, it is."

"So you can just walk through that door anytime you want and talk to the President?"

"Well, yes. I have what's called 'walk in privileges.' I do usually tap lightly to let him know I'm on my way in, if it's not a scheduled meeting. But I sit in on most of the meetings that occur, and I brief the President throughout the day on things that are happening."

"What else do you do?"

"I read a lot of briefing memos. A lot of briefing memos."

"What's that?" Anna asks.

"It's basically a report. Experts weigh in on all sorts of topics. The President needs to understand what legislation aims to do, and what it will actually do, before he decides whether to sign it or veto it. He also gets a lot of reports on things related to National Security, and the Economy, and Healthcare, and Education. He needs to know what's going on in the world and in this country in order to lead it."

"I also have a lot of meetings about these same things. And speaking of that, I have one in about 10 minutes. So you two are going to go with Aunt Donna up to her office. Just remember though, just because she has a bigger office doesn't mean she's more important than me."

The kids snicker and Donna raises an eyebrow at me. As I kiss her goodbye, I whisper in her ear, "the office isn't the reason you're more important than me, there are many, many other reasons."

Donna brings the kids back at 5 o'clock. I worked through lunch so we could leave an hour early and my backpack is ready to go. Although I'll leave it here until later.

"Hey baby." As I greet her with a kiss, Conor turns a little pink. I don't think his parents are nearly as demonstrative as we are. Maybe it's because they've been married for 16 years or maybe it's because they are more conservative than we are.

"Did you guys have a good time today?"

"Yes." They both answer politely, but not enthusiastically. Watching other people work probably isn't that much fun. But still, come on, it's the White House!

"What did you do after your briefing with the President?" It probably doesn't hurt to remind them about that.

"We saw Aunt Donna's office and met her staff. And then we had lunch in the Residence with the First Lady and we got a tour."

"The Lincoln Bedroom was pretty cool." Conor says quietly.

"Well hopefully, this next part is cool too. We're going to the National Air and Space Museum in a Presidential Motorcade. The Santos Family is coming with us."

"Really?" Conor looks over the moon. It's the most excited I've seen him. This must have been one of the things he wanted to do. Anna looks pleased as well.

Getting to visit the museum after hours is pretty amazing, if I do say so myself. It's been eight years since Donna and I toured it. It was fun, because I was with her, but it was crowded. This is much better.

At the Human Space Exploration Discovery Station everyone except Donna tries on a spacesuit.

"I don't want to take any chance of getting stuck!" She jokes. She's really not that big yet, but I don't blame her. It's really not that comfortable.

Anna and Peter both spend a lot of time looking at the space artifacts, but Miranda is ready to move on.

Peter is also very interested in the Tools of Astronomy Discovery Station. He picks up and examines several centuries of astronomical tools. I'm amazed as he names off astrolabes, quadrants, and celestial spheres. The Museum staff are pretty impressed too.

After that we head over to the simulators, while Helen, Miranda and Donna head over to find a bathroom and then another activity station since Miranda isn't big enough for the simulators.

Anna picks the Spacewalk simulator which tours around the International Space Station on an exciting extravehicular activity (EVA) testing out a new manned-maneuvering unit.

Conor and Peter both want to try the Flight Combat simulator. Conor tries the P-51 Mustang, while Peter decides to try to follow in his father's footsteps, flying an F-18 Hornet. They both come out looking pretty green after fake crashing.

"Wasn't that awesome?" Matt booms at them as they exit their machines. Both boys nod without saying anything.

"Our turn, Josh!" Matt grins heading toward one of the machines.

"No thanks, I'll just wait here."

Matt gives me a bit of a funny look as he climbs in. But I don't let it bother me. I know what my strengths are. I'd never be a fighter pilot.

"Uncle Josh," Peter starts timidly, "that wasn't very much fun. I almost threw up."

"I hear ya, little buddy." Conor ruffles his hair. "But I'm sure not going to tell my friends that when I get home!"

Both boys look a little disappointed in themselves.

"Hey guys, you know it takes all kinds of people to make this world a better place, right?" They both nod, but don't really seem to see where I'm going. "Your Dad," I look at Peter, "is a strong leader, he's a pretty amazing athlete and a great pilot. But he couldn't run this country alone. I'm not any of those things, but he chose me to help him."

This time I look at Conor. His Dad is pretty athletic too.

"It's okay to like to read, and study a lot. It's okay to like newspaper and band over sports. It's okay not to want to be the one that stands up and wants everyone to follow him. It's okay to be the guy that the guy counts on."

They're both looking at me with small smiles and standing a bit taller. I see the girls coming back towards us so I impart one last piece of wisdom.

"And it's okay not to know exactly what to say to girls, if you find the right one, she'll help you figure it out."

Donna comes up and wraps an arm around my waist. "Hey babe, what you guys talking about?"

"How to get girls." I answer, giving her another kiss and watching Conor turn pink again.

"Uh oh!" Donna laughs, looking at Conor. "Are you sure he's giving you good advice?"

"Yeah, I think he is." Conor answers with a little more confidence than usual.


	42. Chapter 42

As I'm chewing my breakfast I realize that after three days, I'm kind of getting used to having teenagers around. Yesterday was easier than the day before because Josh went out on Monday night and bought them both alarm clocks. He handed the clocks to the kids, then told them since they were old enough to travel without their parents, they were old enough to get themselves out of bed in the morning.

He sounded so Dad-like when he said, "I don't care how you do it, but I want you dressed and ready to walk out the door by 6:45."

Conor likes three snoozes, so he set his to go off pretty early, but Anna set hers for the last possible minute. She rushes through the house like a tornado. It's actually kind of humorous to watch. I've also enjoy watching Josh sit back and observe them with a slight smile. It's like he's studying them and taking mental notes on how to handle teenagers. God, I love him.

Overall, Tuesday was good. Even though the kids weren't thrilled about getting up early, they managed to be ready on time. And Helen and I managed to get some business discussed while the kids all bowled in the morning, then played in the pool in the afternoon. Conor really enjoyed our after work outing to the National Archives. Then he'd helped me make dinner while Josh and Anna went on a run with Phil. After dinner, we ended up back at the White House where we all enjoyed watching National Treasure. I think Conor should do his report on that movie. He'd have a lot to compare and contrast regarding historical accuracy.

"Maybe we should add the Library of Congress to our plans." Josh interrupts my internal reflections of yesterday.

"Are you thinking about the movie too?" I grin at him over my coffee cup. He really did like it.

"Yes. I think it would be fun to go to all those places. Too bad we don't have time to go to Philadelphia with the kids. He'd really be able to write a great report!"

"Well, he hasn't even picked that movie yet. And I still have Seabiscuit and Saving Private Ryan coming. They should be here tomorrow. We can all watch Seabiscuit but I don't think Saving Private Ryan is going to be appropriate for the Santos kids."

"It's not. Sam and I saw it when it was in theaters and I have no desire to see it again. I don't think you should either. It's a lot of shooting and explosions."

"Oh. Maybe I shouldn't have ordered it?"

"No, it's fine. Matt said he'd watch it with Conor."

"You are a really good Uncle! Making arrangements for Conor to have one on one time with the President! How cool is that?"

Josh grins at the praise. Then sobers a minute.

"Having the kids here has been really great. Conor reminds me a little bit of myself. When I was his age and starting to be interested in politics, that's when Leo started mentoring me. I wouldn't be where I am today without him. I don't want to push Conor, but I'd like to nurture his interest and make sure he knows that I'll be here for him if he wants to go down this road."

My heart feels like it's going to burst. I just love this man so much. Does he get that he already did that once before? He nurtured my interest in politics. I wouldn't be where I am without him. Lulu gives me a kick and I laugh out loud. I _really_ wouldn't be where I am without him. I'm about to remind him when Anna flies out of our bathroom and through the kitchen.

"5 minutes!" Josh hollers at her with a smile on his face.

At 6:45 precisely, the three of us stand before him ready to go. "You all look good!" He smiles at us like a proud Dad. We do look like the All-American family. Anna is wearing white capris and a bright red tank top. Conor has a navy blue polo and khaki cargo shorts. I'm wearing a bright blue dress. I have a white sweater for inside. I couldn't convince Josh to wear jeans even though it's a federal holiday. It's a shame because I really like him in jeans. But he looks sharp in his light blue oxford, grey slacks and a red tie with narrow white and blue lines. I give it a closer look. I think it's one of President Bartlet's ties. I'll have to ask him later. He's got his shirt sleeves rolled up on his forearms and he bounces a little as he grins at us. Even without the jeans, he's got that boyish thing going on. God, I want him.

"Let's go!" He announces, so we must have passed inspection. The kids and I follow him out the door. Today should be fun. Sure, we're still working, but it's mingling with military families, staffers, and members of Congress during a picnic on the South Lawn. Anna was a little put out last night when Josh announced that we still needed to leave at the same time.

"But I don't understand! It's a holiday. I thought we were going to a picnic. I don't want to get up early."

Josh listened patiently to her whining, then firmly told her. "I hear you. There are plenty of times in life when we have to do something we don't want to do. You have a lot of days left in your life where you get to sleep in. I need you to come with Aunt Donna and me in the morning. I love you guys just too much to leave you here, and I really need to get some work done before the fun starts."

She had a little attitude when she'd answered "Okay, Uncle Josh." But here she is, ready to go, on time, and fairly pleasant. I look at him across the seat. He's balancing the boyish charm and the future father really well. Both sides of him are an incredible turn on.

When we get to the White House, Josh and I head to our offices while sending the kids to the mess for breakfast since they didn't give themselves time to eat at home.

"Come to my office when you're done," I tell them. "Then we'll find something else for you to do."

I've actually already made arrangements for them to watch a movie in the White House theater. I think they're going to be pretty excited. Transformers is being released today and they are going to be among the first people to see it. Technically, they are screening it for Mrs. Santos. Peter really wants to see it and she wants to know if it's appropriate.

After the movie ends, Conor and Anna come back to my office. Karen shows them in with a smile. The kids are chattering with each other and telling her how great the movie is. They are obviously excited. Karen smiles at me over their heads. I told her she didn't have to come in today, but she's a good assistant. She doesn't like to leave me alone in the office very often. Together we manage to clear a lot off my to-do list.

"Okay Karen, work time is over. You can go to the party or go home if you'd rather."

She gives me a look. "Are you really leaving the office?"

"Yes, the kids and I are going up to the Residence so they can give their report to the First Lady."

Once the kids have given Helen their report, they join Peter and Miranda in the game room.

"They're really good kids." Helen tells me with a smile. "It's been fun having them around."

"Yes, I'm really glad they were allowed to visit. Carly really wanted to, but I don't know if I could handle the younger ones on my own."

"Sure, you could. And I'm sure Peter and Miranda would be thrilled. They're closer in age, right?"

"Yes, Liam is almost 13, Aidan is 12 and Carly will be 11 in the fall."

"Peter would be in heaven! He misses his cousins."

"I'll talk to Josh and see what he thinks. Travel baseball is what dictates their schedule, but maybe we can work something out." I stand up and Helen sees my intention.

"I guess it's about time for us to make an appearance outside, isn't it?"

"Yep. Let's get the hooligans."

"Which hooligans are you talking about? The children or the husbands?"

I grin at Helen. I was thinking kids, but I like her style. "Both, I guess."

Once we've gathered our families, we mingled for a while. Josh and I get stuck with Senator Gillette, and I nod at Anna when she asks if they can go play some lawn games. They should be fine on their own.

When we finally break free of Seth, I really need to pee. I'm also kind of tired. I could just use a break. It's a little early for dinner, but I'm hungry too.

"Let's grab the kids and eat in your office, okay? I'd like to sit for a while."

Josh immediately looks concerned. "Are you okay? We can go home if you want."

"I'm fine, Josh. I'd just like a little break."

"Okay, then how about you go to my office and lay down on my couch. I'll find the kids and we'll bring you some food."

"That sounds like a plan."

When I hear Josh and the kids coming in, I sit up and look at my watch. I'm a little surprised to find that it's been almost an hour. I must have dozed off.

Josh sits down next to me and puts a bottle of water and a plate of food on the table. I'm famished, and it looks great. Grilled chicken, macaroni salad, potato salad, fruit salad, and a chocolate chip cookie. He did good.

The kids sit in the chairs across from us with their plates. Anna's looks a lot like mine. Josh and Conor both have burgers and chips. It's a holiday. I guess I won't harass them too much about eating healthier.

"So guys, we're planning on taking you to the National Museum of American History tomorrow." Josh says between bites. "I left Friday and Saturday morning open. Is there any place else you want to visit while you are here?"

"Yeah, the Newseum is supposed to be fantastic. I'd definitely like to go there." Anna looks really excited, but I feel my heart stop and my eyes flash over to Josh. He swallows his food with a grimace.

"Um, yeah, uh, I don't know. Okay," Josh stammers for a few seconds before arriving at his decision. "We can go."

"No! Absolutely not! Pick someplace else." I tell Anna harshly.

"But Aunt Donna! It's the only thing I've asked to do!" She whines. "Conor has got to go to all the museums that he wanted to. This is so unfair!"

"Adrianna . . . " I use her full name as a warning. I've had enough of the teenage attitude. This is over the line.

"Donna," Josh says softly, "they don't know. They're too young."

He pauses for a second, then looks them both in the eye before continuing.

"You guys were pretty little at the time, probably first and second grade, but do you remember that President Bartlet was shot?"

"Yeah, I think so." Conor answers and Anna gives a little nod. But it's pretty obvious that neither of them really do.

Josh takes a deep breath and slowly lets it out. "I was shot then too."

Both kids immediately sit upright. Anna's gone a little pale. Between the two of us, Josh is already her favorite. Conor looks like he's trying to remember if he should have already known this.

"Where'd you get shot?" Conor blurts out. I feel myself flinch.

"Right here." Josh's hand hovers near his chest, and I feel the tears gather behind my eyes. I came so close to losing him, and Lulu! If he'd died, I wouldn't be having his baby! The thought strikes me like a blow and I curl around her reflexively, and cradle her through my skin. I can't stop the tears rolling down my cheeks.

"It happened at the Newseum. Uncle Josh almost died." I manage to choke out. Josh gathers me in his arms and I weep on his shoulder. I don't care what the kids think. We are not going there.

After a few awkward minutes, Anna says quietly, "I'm sorry. I didn't know."

She really is a good kid. I'm sorry I snapped at her.

"It's okay, Anna," Josh says kindly, "but I think you'd better save that museum for a trip with your parents. I've heard it's really good. There is an exhibit about the shooting at Rosslyn, and one about the explosion in Gaza. If you have questions after you've seen them, we can answer them. But neither of us wants to go back there ourselves. I hope you understand."

"Yes, I'm sorry."

"It's okay kiddo. You didn't know. Is there some place else you'd like to go?"

"Um, the Mall?"

"Sure, we can go back to the National Mall, there are still some things we haven't seen there."

"Uncle Josh, I meant the real mall. Forever 21 is having a sale."

Conor rolls his eyes, but Josh bursts into deep belly laughs. I feel the tension lift. And I manage to pull myself together.

"Sure. We can go to the 'real mall'. How long does the sale last?" Josh is so good at this! I know he doesn't care about the sale, and I'm sure he has no idea what he's getting himself into shopping with a teen girl, but this should be fun.

Anna wrinkles her nose a little and shrugs, which for some reason sends Josh into another round of laughter.

"I don't know probably all weekend?"

"Okay, we'll go on Friday or Saturday. I'll buy you some shoes."

"Really? I love you Uncle Josh!" Anna throws herself into his arms and he snuggles her a bit and kisses the top of her head. He use to bribe me with shoe shopping too. I'd better watch out or Lulu is going to be so spoiled.

After dinner, we head up to the Residence. Matt and Helen invited us to watch the fireworks from the roof. They aren't my favorite thing anymore, but tucked under Josh's arm and surrounded by my family, I think I'll be okay.


	43. Chapter 43

Setting the memo that I just finished on the table next to my laptop, I sit up a little and roll my shoulders. My house is quiet for what feels like the first time all week. Letting the kids, and Donna, sleep in was a good idea. It's Saturday, Congress isn't in session, and it's a holiday weekend.

The only thing on the agenda for today is Anna's trip to the mall. She was pretty disappointed when it didn't happen yesterday, but Donna had a headache and I put my foot down. Still even though she's not getting her way all the time, I think Anna's having fun. She's a pretty upbeat kid. She has little moments of teenage attitude, but Donna seems pretty good at stopping it cold. She's got the Mom look down.

Conor didn't say much about Saving Private Ryan after he and Matt watched on Thursday. I'm glad for that. Maybe it's wrong, but I'm not going to bring it up unless he does. Matt said they had a good discussion, and I hope that's good enough.

Both kids did have a lot to say about the Bureau of Engraving after Helen and Donna took them on Thursday evening. It turns out that seeing how money is made is pretty cool.

Yesterday, I was surprised when I stopped by Donna's office after work and she wasn't there. The plan had been to meet there at 4 to go to the mall. Karen informed me that Donna had a headache and had gone up to the Residence to take a nap while the kids went swimming with Miranda and Peter. When I found her in the COS bedroom, she had a cold cloth on her face. She started to sit up when she heard me come in, but I insisted that she lay back down. Anna's trip could wait another day. Instead, we had dinner in the Residence and watched Seabiscuit with the First Family. Donna laid her head on my shoulder and slept through most of the movie.

After that, it was an easy decision to work from home and let everyone sleep in today. Anna and Donna actually did a little happy dance last night when I told them. Just thinking about it makes me smile.

Grabbing a couple more memos, I head back toward the bedroom, stopping by the den and spare room to check on the kids on the way. It's still silent. I'll just read in bed and wait for Donna to wake up.

When I'm done, it's almost 10am and I have a moment of indecision. Should I start some breakfast? I've gotten pretty good at scrambled eggs. I can do pancakes. We usually have some turkey sausage in the freezer. If I start cooking will they all wake up? Do I want them to or do I want to let them sleep as long as possible?

Looking over at Donna, I decide to let her sleep. I think she's probably just exhausted. I know she's had a lot more energy this trimester, but she's been doing a lot of walking around with the kids. I scoot down in the bed and spoon Donna, slipping my hand under her shirt and caressing her belly. Maybe Lulu is awake. Sure enough, after a few minutes she gives my hand a kick. It won't be long before Donna wakes up now.

"Alright, let's go." Anna announces as soon as she's done loading the dishwasher. She and Conor have been taking turns after every meal. It was a very pleasant surprise.

"Hold your horses. I need shoes." Conor shoots back. I think it's possible that he's tying the laces as slowly as possible just to annoy her. I should probably discourage him but truthfully I find it kind of funny. The Mall is only 13 miles away, she'll have plenty of time to shop before it closes. I really hope we'll be done long before that.

Scott looks uncomfortable as we get into the SUV. This detail has to be frustrating for him. Protectees that probably aren't really in danger, that want to go to the mall and hang out. Wesley called it Paparazzi Patrol. But look how that ended. Even though we aren't on high security generally right now, given that it's a holiday weekend, and the inherent difficulty of protecting us at the mall, Scott decided to use a full detail of 6 for this trip. Two with the cars and four with us. I agreed so that we'd each have a shadow. The way I look at it, it's all or nothing. If we have even one agent, we are going to draw attention. And if we draw attention, I want my whole family protected.

Anna bops into another girly store and Conor rolls his eyes. He's been pretty patient but he might be close to his breaking point. Suddenly I spot something a couple doors away that might help. I hand him a twenty.

"There's Wetzel's Pretzels. Go get a couple and meet us back here, okay?"

"Thanks, Uncle Josh!" He grins as he sprints off.

"Don't forget the cheese sauce!" I yell at his back. Then I motion for Kevin to follow him.

Heading into the store, I see the shoe display against the back wall. I'm glad that Anna and Donna are heading straight back there.

But when I catch up to the girls, I'm horrified. These shoes are all ridiculous. Super high heels in weird designs. I can't let Anna pick a pair of these!

"I just love Charlotte Russe! Don't you Aunt Donna?" Anna is giddy. She walks up and down the display and finally settles on three pairs to try on. As she finds a sales clerk to get her size, I pull Donna aside.

"Donna, what the hell?" I don't even have words for this place. But Donna just looks at me with amusement.

"What's the problem, Josh?"

"THIS!" I exclaim, grabbing the closest shoe. It's black patent leather, it has a bunch of buckles crossing the top of it and the front of the shoe is cut off. It's not really a sandal. I don't know the technical name but I do know what shoes like this are called.

"What about it?" Donna asks. Does she really not see the problem?

"What is it?!" I counter.

"Well, it's called a peep toe, platform heel."

"That's not all they're called, is it Donna?" I narrow my eyes a bit, daring her to pretend ignorance.

"No. . ." she looks around carefully to see if anyone is listening to us, "they're called 'hooker heels'." Donna whispers furiously at me.

"Do you think it's appropriate for me to buy our 13 year old niece _hooker heels_?" I can't even believe this.

" _JOSH_! She's almost 14. She's starting High School in a few weeks. If she wants one pair of crazy shoes let her have them. If Bob doesn't approve then he won't let her wear them. . . . Besides, she didn't even pick that pair to try on!"

She gestures over to where Anna's sitting, grinning as she takes of her sandals. She's right. In front of Anna are 3 pairs of heels. They are all pretty high but none of them is quite as bad as what I have in my hand. One pair is white statin with black polka dots. There's a pair of bright blue suede boots. And lastly,a cute floral pair. What did Donna call that? Peep toe.

Anna puts the floral ones on and stands up hesitantly.

"Is she even going to be able to walk in those?" I hiss at Donna.

"Shhhhh! You're going to hurt her feelings!" Donna hisses back.

We watch as Anna takes a few faltering steps then finds her balance. Once she does, she strides around the area with a huge grin on her face, suddenly full of confidence. It's the same smile Donna gets when she's figured something out. Okay. I'm convinced. If these are the shoes she wants then these are the shoes she gets! After that, it's Bob's problem.

After walking around the store in all three, Anna's really having a hard time deciding which pair to choose, so I see an opportunity.

"We could go someplace else." I offer. Donna shoots me a glare from behind Anna's back. And Kevin and Scott roll their eyes. What? It was a legitimate offer.

"No, I don't need to go anywhere else. I really like all of these. What do you think Aunt Donna? Which ones sould I get?"

"Well, I think those white heels would get pretty dirty pretty fast don't you? Unless they already match something for a special occasion, I'd eliminate those."

"Well I was thinking for homecoming I could get a black dress and wear these."

"Oh! That would be cute. Do you have a specific dress in mind?"

"No. My Mom said we've still got time to find the perfect one."

"What about the other shoes? Anything to wear with those?"

"Well, if I didn't get a black dress, I could get a pink one and these floral shoes would be cute."

I like that idea. A pink dress would be better than black. I hope she picks those. But I'm smart enough not to say anything.

"And I think I could wear the blue suede boots with just about anything! They'd be cute to wear to school with jeans and a t-shirt. Don't you think?"

"Sure, I guess." Donna hesitates, but then breaks the news to her. "Really, they probably aren't going to be very comfortable to wear to school."

The sales clerk comes by again. "So have you decided or can I get something else for you to try on?"

"No thanks." Anna says politely. "I'm just trying to make up my mind."

"Well, don't forget, they're buy one pair, get the second for $10 right now."

That bit of information shocks me. "$10! How much are they full price?"

"$35.99" Anna says with wide eyes. I think she's afraid I'm going to tell her they are too much. Just the opposite, I think if they're that cheap, they are probably a terrible quality. They won't last long, but maybe that's just fine.

"Okay, get those," I point to the floral heels. "And those," the polka dot. "And let's go. It's too hot for boots right now anyway."

"Really, Uncle Josh?" She squeals. "You are the best!"

The sales clerk looks happy. Anna looks happy. Conor looks happy. The agents look happy. But Donna looks amused. She links her arm through mine as we follow Anna up to the register.

"You're just a big softie after all, aren't you, Bulldog?"

"Two pair for under $50! They're probably crap."

"But she's happy, and now she has a couple options for homecoming. And we get to be part of it. Thanks." Donna plants a kiss on my cheek.

"I seem to remember that it was always a lot more expensive when I took you shoe shopping."

"Yes. I was a girl on a budget. If you were buying, I wanted to make sure I got really good shoes!"

"I'm glad you did." I lean down and give her a kiss.

As I'm paying for Anna's shoes, I'm not really paying attention to their chatter. I'm thinking about shoe shopping with Donnatella Moss. I have these little memories, like videos in my head, that I've played back over the years, and this one is one of my favorites.

It was early in the Bartlet Administration. Sometime in the second year. Sam was going sailing and had pawned a meeting off on me, so I drafted Donna to join me. She pouted about being forced to work on a Saturday, so I promised I'd buy her some shoes. The weekend didn't go well. It was the first clemency request for the death penalty and we ended up working all day Saturday and part of Sunday. I only managed to get out of the building because I needed to stop by Joey's hotel and pass along a message from President Bartlet.

When I'd stopped at Donna's desk on my way out, it was clear that she thought I'd forgot about the shoe shopping. She didn't say anything as she gave me the hotel information, but she'd looked a little sad.

"Well, come on, get your stuff. After this errand, we'll go to Barney's." I'd told her as I stood there waiting. She'd suddenly perked up. The way her eyes lit up had revived me a little too. She'd given me a shy smile and said "okay" softly. She's always been made of steel but back then she didn't know it.

When we got to the store, I'd expected it to take a long time and I'd expected her to pick out something flashy and expensive. Maybe something to go with a formal gown for one of the many functions where she got stuck babysitting me. But she picked out some basic black leather pumps with only the slightest of heel. I'd almost teased her about it, but something held me back. She had gone in knowing exactly what she wanted, and she was letting me get them for her. It just made me happy to do something nice for her for a change.

She wore those shoes for years. Eventually I did tease her and offered to buy her a new pair. But she'd said they were perfect and since they were quality, they'd lasted, so why replace them? Of course, she'd let me buy her a pair of strappy formal heels instead. Then, there was the fall that I'd discovered that the zipper on her boots was broken. It had been a nice lunch break to go with her to replace those.

Over time, the pumps started making fewer appearances. But whenever she did wear them I got a little warm fuzzy feeling, because they were the first pair of shoes I'd bought her. Maybe I couldn't give her jewelry, but I could give her shoes. And no one would ever ask where she got them.

I smile as I hand Anna the bright pink bag. "Here you go sweetheart."

She grins and gives me a big hug. "Thanks, Uncle Josh. I love you."

"Love you too."

"Can we _please_ go home now?" Conor moans. I look at Anna and she nods happily. I'm glad I got to make her day.

It's 11 o'clock before the kids are packed up and settled into bed. Their flight isn't until 2, but Donna insisted that they pack up tonight, so that they could all sleep in again in the morning. I think she's got a pretty good grasp on how to handle teens.

We climb into bed and I open my arms to her. She immediately snuggles into them.

"Did you have a good day?" I ask her.

"Yes. It was really fun watching you shopping with Anna. It reminded me of the old days. I gotta ask you though, do you have a shoe fetish that I don't know about?"

I can't help but laugh at her. "No. I don't. But in my family, it was pretty common to get shoes as a gift. I think it's just a way to express that you want to take care of somebody."

"Well that explains why your Mother sent you shoes. I always thought that was a little weird." Donna's silent for a minute, while I run my hand through her hair and down her back. I wonder if she fell asleep? She lets out a loud yawn, and I smile to myself. She's fighting it a little.

"So, you took me shoe shopping because you wanted to take care of me?"

"Yes, Donnatella. I've wanted to take care of you since the moment we met. I just didn't know that really it would be mostly you taking care of me."

She looks at me and smiles. Then gives me a kiss to acknowledge the sweet moment. Then she says, "Is that your way of telling me you need new shoes?"


	44. Chapter 44

The car ride home is pretty quiet. Josh keeps looking over at me with his big, stupid, chocolate-brown, puppy-dog eyes, but he's smart enough to keep his mouth shut now. If only he'd been smart enough to keep it shut in Lamaze class. Does he always have to prove he's the smartest person in the room?

My ankles are swollen, my back is killing me, and I am pretty sure that if we don't get home in the next 5 minutes, I'm going to pee on the back seat of the town car.

Welcome to the Third Trimester, Dr. Andrews had said. The baby is healthy. I'm healthy. My symptoms are normal. We've hit the first major milestone. Obviously we want Lulu, even I'm calling her that now I guess, to keep cooking for another 10-12 weeks, but at this point even if she were born tomorrow, she'd have a good chance of survival without lasting effects. But most likely I have about 3 more months of these symptoms to look forward to, and then the actual birth, which doesn't sound like very much fun.

Some of the ladies at Lamaze joked about how they milk the symptoms to get their husbands to wait on them hand and foot. I don't need to do that. Josh is already extremely attentive. If I actually complain about anything, he over-reacts, rushing around to try to fix everything. I know he just wants to take care of me, and I love that, but sometimes his non-stop attention is grating. I'm pregnant, not completely helpless! And if I snap at him, his face falls and he looks like someone just killed his hamster. Then I feel guilty. Like now.

I suppose, he was just trying to be helpful. The teacher asked questions, and he answered them. He likes having the answers. He's read the whole damn book. And he _is_ trying to get ready so that he can be helpful during labor and delivery. Still, I didn't need everyone in the class to know that I've been constipated! Jerk.

We are not going back to Lamaze class. Ever. We'll be Lamaze drop outs.

It's not like we really have time anyway. The next six weeks are going to be absolutely insane. Ainsley's Bridal Shower, The Queen's State Visit, the final dress fittings, and then the wedding itself. Not to mention that Congress will be back in session.

I'm really doing Josh a favor by quitting. He won't have time for class and he practically passes out every time they talk about what's going to happen to my body. And when they showed the movie today, he had to put his head between his knees and practice the breathing on himself.

God! Are we ever going to be home? I really have to pee!

I glance over at Josh again with narrowed eyes. This really is all his fault. I was just a nice girl that grew up on a farm until I met him and he got me pregnant.

As soon as we arrive home, I bolt for the bathroom. The agents aren't surprised by it anymore. At this point, I don't think Jackie's ever going to have kids.

When I come back out of the bathroom, Josh is sorting through the mail. I'm contemplating whether to apologize for snapping at him for apologizing excessively for his stupidity. As if he hadn't already drawn enough attention to us with the actual stupid comment. Ugh. I wonder if we can get private Lamaze lessons?

"Oh my god, Donna. It's here!"

Josh hands me an envelope with a "Georgetown University Admissions Department" return address. Now his eyes are sparkling, and he's bouncing on the balls of his feet. He looks so excited for me to open it. It's obvious that he has no doubt that it's an acceptance.

I feel nauseous. My hand is shaking. What if it's a rejection? It will break his heart. He was so encouraging as I gathered all the application and transfer materials. He helped me draft the credit request for my years of government service. And he proof-read and critiqued my essays. He's as invested in this as I am.

Why did I even apply here? I should have picked a lesser school. I'm so out of my league.

"Well? Are you going to open it?" He asks grinning.

I turn it over and carefully slide my fingernail under the seal. I pull the material out, and start to read the letter.

"Congratulations, Donnatella Moss Lyman, Welcome to Georgetown."

Josh lets out a "Whoop!" and picks me up and spins me around. "Congratulations, Baby! You're going back to school!"

I'm a little stunned. I mean I'd hoped but I wasn't sure. They get so many applications, and mine was way outside the normal timeframe.

"Donna? You're happy about this aren't you?"

"Yes! Oh my god. Yes. I just can't quite believe it."

I sit down on the couch to look over the admissions material. What else do I need to do to get this ball rolling? I guess I should start by reading the entire admissions letter.

Dear Ms. Moss Lyman,

I am very pleased to inform you of your admission to Georgetown College. As the Director of Undergraduate Studies for the Department of Government, I was thrilled to review your application for special admission. It's not every day that someone reaches the level of success you've obtained without having a bachelor's degree. While we applaud your achievement, we exalt you for choosing to finish what you started many years ago. Your decision to do so reinforces your status as a role model to young people.

I personally reviewed your outstanding academic record from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Based on your high level of achievement, Georgetown University is please to accept all of your previous credits for transfer. In addition, based on your essays and personal letters of recommendation from President Bartlet and President Santos, we are able to credit as completed the following courses:

GOVT 020 U.S. Political Systems

GOVT 080 Elements of Political Theory

GOVT 201 Analysis of Political Data

GOVT 221 Presidential and Electoral Politics

GOVT 332 Campaigns and Elections

To complete the Bachelor of Science degree, you will need to take the following two foundational courses:

GOVT 040 Comparative Political Systems

GOVT 060 International Relations

Additionally, you will need to complete 3 elective GOVT classes and a Department Seminar. Please see the enclosed course catalog for courses offered. While many of these classes are available as online courses, the University is prepared to accommodate your secret service detail for any classes you wish to complete on campus. The Department Seminar is not available online.

Thank you for choosing Georgetown University. We look forward to helping you achieve your goals.

Sincerely,

Jonathan Marrow

Department of Government, Director of Undergraduate Studies

"Donna- that's amazing." Josh breathes. "They gave you full credit for all your general education requirements from Wisconsin and they gave you what amounts to a full year of credit for your White House work! You're a college senior!"

"I can't believe it." I grin at him.

"I'm dating a hot college girl." He grins back at me.

"A hugely pregnant college girl." I rub my belly. "We're going back to college, baby."

"I'll be back in a second," Josh says mysteriously as he leaves the room. Looking through the admissions material, I discover that I don't have much time left to register for the next semester. I'd really like to get into at least one of these foundational classes. Preferably online. I need to figure out if that's possible.

"Ah-hem" Josh clears his throat and I look up. He's wearing a "Georgetown Dad" t-shirt. What the hell?

"Whoa, there. You are definitely NOT my Dad. I like our little games but no way am I calling you Daddy."

"Ewwww. . . I am so on the same page with you on that. I absolutely wasn't think that way when I bought it."

"Why did you buy it then?"

"Well I was looking for a 'Georgetown Husband or Spouse shirt but they only had parent ones. I figured since you are pregnant it's kind of like Lulu is going there too. . . . But now there is no way I'm wearing it."

He pulls the shirt off and tosses it on a chair. The sad eyes are back. I must have really hurt his feeling when I yelled at him after the class. I need to fix this. I would much rather deal with ego maniac Josh than mopey Josh.

"Come here." I pat the seat next to me. He sits down with a sigh.

"I'm really screwing up today, huh. I'm sorry. I really just not very good at this."

"Josh. You are amazing. I'm just swollen and cranky. I love you. I wouldn't want to be doing this with anyone but you. . . . We can send the shirt to my Dad. He'll be thrilled. Tell you what, I'll buy myself a nice big Georgetown sweatshirt and you can steal it from me and wear it around the house in just your boxers."

"Really turning the tables, huh?" He laughs. "Okay. That's fair. God knows I love to see you running around in just my Harvard t-shirt and your underwear."

Now that I have him reassured, I give him a quick kiss. Then I scoot away. He looks confused until I lean back against the arm of the couch and put my feet in his lap. I need a foot rub. He smiles at me and picks one up.

"Holy cow! Your ankles really are swollen!"

I roll my eyes and give him a little glare. Has he learned nothing? But when he starts to rub, I quickly forgive him. I'm going back to school! I'm going to get a degree from Georgetown. Oh my god. I'm going to crush this! I don't know how, but I am. I'm going to make Lulu so proud of me. Ha! Georgetown Dad. For being brilliant, sometimes he's not very bright. At least I'll get quite a bit of teasing out of that one.

"So. . . you were so confident that I'd get in that you bought a shirt? Did you pull some strings or something?"

"No! You pulled your own strings, Donna! Look at that list of classes that they are giving you credit for. YOU did that. YOU decided to go join a campaign. And you didn't just run down and volunteer at the local office. YOU picked the winner, drove out to headquarters. YOU learned so much, so quickly, YOU made yourself invaluable, not just to me, either. Leo wouldn't have let me keep you if you weren't. YOU had the personal recommendations of TWO Presidents and a former White House Chief of Staff. Plus those essays that you wrote were brilliant. Not to mention your academic history. I know I teased you about all those majors and minors, but really you had a very well rounded first two years at Wisconsin, where you made the Dean's list every semester. Donna, if your academics weren't up to snuff, they'd just have waited a couple years and given you an honorary degree instead. This is the real deal."

His speech reminds me of the old days, when he was less inhibited, when he'd go off on a rant about whatever his current passion was . . . oh! It's me. I'm his current passion. Well, duh. He may do stupid stuff, but I'll never doubt his love. I just need to get him to dial it down a notch in Lamaze class. Ugh, Lamaze class. How am I going to fit another thing on my plate right now?

"Hey, what are you thinking about? You're pretty quiet over there. You aren't _really_ doubting whether you deserved to get in are you?" Josh asks gently. He's probably a little worried that he said something wrong. I have been pretty snappy lately.

"No. I'm really not. I was actually just teasing you about the pulling strings comment. But your little speech was still really nice to hear. . . . I was actually just thinking about how on earth we are going to fit anything more into our lives! Did you look at what the calendar looks like next month? But if I'm going to do this . . ."

Josh opens his mouth to say something but I hold up a hand to stop him.

"and I'm definitely going to do this, then we are going to need to have a plan. Go get my laptop. Let's see when the online classes start and how they work. Maybe I can get one done before Lulu gets here, and another one done while on Maternity leave."

"You just called her Lulu." Josh grins as he gets up.

Silly man, of course I've started calling her Lulu, it's a pretty stinkin' cute nickname. That doesn't mean I'm going to saddle her with Leonora. Although if I'm honest with myself, it is in a tie with Olivia. I really like the name Olivia, but there isn't anything special about it. I do like the idea of naming our children after important people in our lives.

But we still have three months to figure out her name. Right now I've got to figure out how to finish my degree. And I need to go online and buy a sweatshirt.


	45. Chapter 45

"Did you get ahold of Toby?" Sam asks me as soon as I slide into the booth.

"Yeah, he's on his way. Charlie should be here any time too."

"The whole gang all together at the Hawk & Dove, just like old times."

"Also known as the lamest bachelor party ever. I'm sorry man, I should have done better by you. Especially with the girls down in North Carolina for the bridal shower."

"Hey, you know that I know how busy we've been. Besides, we're getting too old for wild and crazy bachelor parties."

"I know. That's what I told Donna when she cross-examined me before she left." I make my voice high to imitate Donna. "Are there going to be strippers, Josh?" Sam grins at me. "I told her no. I swear we had the exact same conversation years ago."

"Yeah, she texted me an hour ago and reminded me about your sensitive system."

"I'm not surprised. She reminded me too. But you know what Sam, we really are getting too old. I mean, I used to like naked women. A lot. Now I like naked _woman_ , as in one. One gorgeous blonde."

"To gorgeous blondes!" Sam cheers and clicks his bottle to mine. We both grin and take a drink.

"I wish they hadn't gone away for the weekend."

"I hear ya, buddy."

"I'm telling you. You should have eloped. We'd both be getting some this weekend instead of having the lamest bachelor party ever and going home alone."

"Yeah, well, Ainsley wanted the big Southern Wedding with all the frills, and I'm about as good at saying no to my woman as you are to yours."

"To women who know what they want!" I toast, and clink my bottle with Sam's.

"Speaking of which, I heard that Donna got into Georgetown. That's exciting. When does she start?"

"She's all registered. She's taking GOVT 040 Comparative Political Systems online- it's actually independent study so she can start any time. She has to be finished by December 15 but she can double up and be done in 8 weeks, so she could have this first class done before Lulu gets here. Then she can actually do the same thing with GOVT 060 International Relations, so she could have both the Foundational requirements done this semester."

"Why didn't she just register for both?"

"She thought about it, but decided she wanted to see how the first one went. September is pretty busy. She may end up needing the full 16 weeks. She wants to ease into it."

"That seems reasonable." Then he grins, "So . . . Lulu? Is that official?"

"Sort of. I mean, that's not going to be her actual name, but I started calling her that after we found out she's a girl. Donna likes Olivia, which is fine, but a bit boring for my taste."

"What do you like?"

"Got a pen?" Sam looks confused but pulls one out of his pocket and hands it to me. I write Leonora down on a napkin and slide it toward him.

"Leah-nora? That's pretty. Why'd ya write it down?"

"I wanted to see how you pronounced it. My Mom and I tend to say "Lanora" Donna's Mom says it full Italian mode- "Leo-Nora." Donna says it's, and I quote, "perfectly awful." Since it's my favorite it gets to stay on the list. I'm not holding my breath. But she said I can call the baby Lulu even if we do name her Olivia.

"You want to hear perfectly awful? Our ring bearers are Ainsley's 6 year old identical twin nephews. Their names are "Hunter" and "Gunner".

"No way."

"Way. Wanna hear the flower girls' names?"

"Sure."

"Clementine and Maggie."

"Maggie's not that bad."

"It's short for Magnolia."

"Oh."

"You thought your in-laws were odd? I've got you beat by miles. Ainsley's sister, Brinley, is married to Jefferson Davis Jackson. Their kids' names are Magnolia, Stonewall and the baby is Scarlett."

"They did NOT name their kid "Stonewall Jackson."

"Hand to God."

"What are you guys talking about?" Charlie asks, sliding into the booth next to Sam.

"How would you say this name?" Sam asks Charlie, handing him the napkin.

"Leo-Nora." Charlie emphasizes the first syllable without any of the Italian accent. Then he looks up at me. "You're naming the baby after Leo?"

"Maybe. We've got it down to two choices, Leonora," I pronounce it the way Donna's Mom does, "or Olivia." I'll admit I said Olivia rather blandly.

"Olivia's nice." Charlie says. Hmmmm. Maybe this is why Donna thought we shouldn't share the names until we had decided. It seems like Charlie has a preference.

"You don't like Leonora?"

Charlie doesn't blink. He's always had a great poker face. "It's fine. Not something I'd choose, but hey it's not my choice. You gonna call her that? It seems a bit much."

"You and Donna think a lot alike. She probably wouldn't go by Leonora any more than Donna goes by Donnatella. Donna thinks maybe she'd call her Nora. I personally like Lulu."

"Nora Lyman" That's cute. Charlie smiles genuinely at me.

"You're naming your kid Nora? After your Dad?" Toby slides in next to me.

"I don't know. How'd you come up with the Twins' names?"

"Andy picked them." Well then. That doesn't really help me.

"How would you pronounce this?" Charlie hands Toby the napkin.

"Depends. Is this Italian?"

I give him a look.

"Since I'm assuming this would be Donnatella Moss Lyman's daughter, I'd pronounce it Leonora." He says it just like Donna's mom too, so I give him a quick grin.

"Alright are we done with this conversation?" Toby grouses "you know it isn't up to any of us anyway. I can tell you this. After you see what your wife goes through to bring your child into the world you are going to let her name that baby anything she wants and you are going to love it."

After the Lamaze video, I totally believe him.

Toby looks around. "Where's the waitress? Are we ready to order?" He waves her over.

We all order dinner and another round of drinks. When she heads off, Charlie looks around at us.

"This is a pretty small wedding party for a Southern Wedding. I'm kind of surprised. I would have expected Ainsley to go all-in."

"Oh, she did." Sam explains. "She has 6 Bridesmaids. The other groomsmen are her two brothers, Duke and Beau, and Will Bailey."

"Will Bailey?" Toby asks in disbelief. "Will Bailey is standing up in your wedding? You met him for what, like, 30 seconds?"

"Hey, he's a nice guy. And I was desperate, it was him or one of Ainsley's 47 cousins."

"Come on, Toby, Will's not that bad." He's really never gotten over Will jumping ship and working for the VP.

"He tried to get Bingo Bob elected as President! I'm surprised you can stand him."

"I won." I shrug. I'm really not one to hold a grudge. Well, except for Republicans.

Once we're done eating, we head to the backroom to play some pool. I don't know why we bother. Charlie cleans our clocks as usual.

At 9 o'clock, we're looking for something else to do. Seriously, if this "party" is over before 10 it truly will be the lamest bachelor party in history. Besides, I keep checking my phone, and Donna hasn't texted me yet.

"Iota?" I suggest. "We can listen to some music. Have a few more drinks."

"Sure." Toby agrees, "The twins are already in bed anyway. I'll get to spend some more time with them tomorrow before I head back to Columbia."

Sam and Charlie nod their agreement, so I gesture to Phil that we are ready to go. At least with a detail we don't need to worry about a designated driver. Not that I'm getting drunk. Donna would kill me, even from 400 miles away.

"So, you've moved to New York?" I can't even imagine moving 5 hours away from Lulu and she's not even born yet. I can hardly stand that they went away for the weekend.

"Yes, I gave up my apartment here and got one there. I'm teaching Monday through Thursday. Then I'm coming back here to spend the weekends with my kids."

"Where are you staying when you're here?"

"Andy's." He says with a slight smirk.

"Should we break out the Team Toby hats?" Sam asks with a grin.

"No. I'm done asking her to remarry me. Right now we're friends with benefits and co-parenting on the weekends. We'll see how this goes."

"What about you?" Sam asks Charlie.

"What about me?"

"What's the status with you and Zoey?"

"Well, this isn't for public knowledge." He grins at us. "She's moving in with me when school starts, but she hasn't told her parents yet."

"Charlie, that's in 4 days!"

"Actually, 3. The Law School starts Monday, Zoey's Master's program starts Tuesday, Undergrads start Wednesday."

"So, um, how's that going to work?"

"She'll be here tomorrow with her stuff."

"I mean, how are you going to keep it from her parents?"

"Well, eventually they'll figure it out. They know she's moving to Georgetown and they know she's got an apartment lined up. She's almost 24 years old. It's not like they're going to help her move. They know we're seeing each other. They just don't know we're taking this step."

"I'm not sure whether you're brave or insane." I tell him honestly. I was terrified to tell President Bartlet that Donna and I had eloped and he's not even really her Dad!

Phil comes back out to the car and tells us they are ready for us inside, another good thing about the detail, we'll get a good table. We follow him into the club where Cynthia greets us and leads us to the same table we had last time. If we do this a little more often it'll be our regular table.

"Where are the ladies?" She asks with a smile.

"They're in North Carolina for the Bridal Shower. Tonight is Sam's Bachelor Party!" I announce.

"Congratulations, Sam!" She gives him a hug. "First round is on the house."

"Thanks, Cynthia."

"So who's playing?" I nod toward the stage, there's a guy with a guitar getting ready to start.

"That's Sean McArdle. He's good."

She's right. He's got a nice voice and folksy tone. It's very relaxing.

Thirty minutes later, the waitress comes by to see if we need more drinks.

Toby orders a scotch. Sam and Charlie order beers.

"I'll just have water, please."

She nods at us and heads off. I check my phone again.

"Donna?" Sam asks.

"Yeah. I want to talk to her before she goes to sleep."

"Ainsley hasn't texted me either. They must be out doing something."

"You two are whipped." Toby snickers at us.

"Yes, yes we are." Sam admits with a smile. "You guys ready to go?" He must really want to talk to Ainsley.

"We just ordered more drinks, Sam." Charlie points out. Toby just shakes his head.

"Damn." Sam responds.

With perfect timing, the waitress shows up and hands the drinks out. Fine. This guy should be done with this set soon. We can finish these drinks and be home by 11. I really hope Donna texts me by then.

I walk in the door at 11:15. I'm starting to get nervous. Donna still hasn't called or texted me yet. I'd assume she just fell asleep but Sam hasn't heard from Ainsley either. What if something happened to them? They're so far away.

As I get ready for bed, I vacillate. Should I call her or not? I really, really want to talk to her. And I want to read a story to Lulu. This is the first night we've been apart since Donna found out she was pregnant. But she might have had a long day, what if she's already sleeping? She needs her rest.

I climb into bed with a stack of briefing memos, still undecided. Maybe I could text her? That probably wouldn't wake her up if she's sleeping. But if she's out with Ainsley, she'd probably see it before she goes to bed.

"U awake?" I hit send.

30 seconds later my phone rings. "Hello?"

"Hey, babe. I just got back to my room. Ainsley's parents took the entire bridal party out to dinner at the Country Club and it lasted forever."

"Oh yeah? What are you wearing?"

"Um, my blue and white dress."

"Why don't you take it off?"

"Hell, yeah. I gotta get out of this bra. My boobs are killing me. These shoes too."

I was trying for sexy, there, but she's totally killing the vibe. Just as well, I have no real interest in phone sex. I just want to talk to her.

"Do you want to call me back when you're in pajamas?"

"Nah, just give me a couple seconds here."

"Okay." I hear some rustling, but before I can count to ten she's back.

"Okay, much better. I'm naked now." Ugh. She's totally killing me here. Is she doing this on purpose?

"Donnnaaa . . . " I whine. And she giggles. So yes, she IS doing this on purpose.

"I'm sorry."

"No, you're not. You live to torment me."

"Yes. You're just so easy. But I love you."

"I love you too. I wish you were here. This bed's too big without you."

"It's the same bed you've had for 6 years."

"I know but it was always too big without you. And now you take up, like, two thirds of it, so it's just right."

"Careful, mister."

. . .

"How's my baby?"

"Very active right now. She was doing summersaults during the shower. You should have seen it."

"Oh man, I wish I had. I should have come with you."

"Josh. It was ladies only. Sam wasn't even invited."

"I could have come in drag. I bet I'd make a very attractive woman."

"No, Josh. You really wouldn't. And I'm okay with that."

. . .

"Can I talk to Lulu?"

"She's not really talking yet, you know, being in utero and all."

"You know what I mean. I want to read her a bedtime story. Can you put me on speaker and put the phone by your bump?"

"Okay." There's a little pause. "We're ready. What are you reading?"

"In the great green room, there was a telephone, and a red balloon, and a picture of -"


	46. Chapter 46

"Are you sure I look okay?" I ask Josh again.

"You're gorgeous."

"I don't want to look gorgeous, I want to look professional." I put a black blazer over top of the black dress I'm wearing. My basketball shaped belly sticks out. At 32 weeks, there's really no way to hide it. The blazer looks okay, but I'm worried I'll get too warm. It's been unseasonably hot for the second week of September. I don't want to be a sweaty mess.

"You know what looks professional?" Josh asks, poking his head into the bedroom.

"What?"

"Being on time. Let's go."

"Alright. Alright. Hold your horses." I give myself one last look in the mirror and nod. Come on, Lulu. Let's go meet the Queen.

As soon as we get in the car, I take the blazer off. Josh just raises an eyebrow. He's getting used to the fact that I'm running hotter these days. He also finally seems to have all the jokes about it out of his system.

I reach down into my briefcase and pull out the agenda to look over it again. But Josh pulls it from my hand and give me a kiss.

"You are ready. I'm sure you have this memorized. Relax, it's here. There's nothing left to do but enjoy it."

When the car pulls up to the portico, we get out and head up to the Residence . We'll accompany the President and Mrs. Santos to the arrival ceremony on the South Lawn together.

When we get to the second floor, Helen's having a little clothing crisis too. "Donna! Does this suit look okay? I spilled coffee on the one approved by the protcol office and now I'm flummoxed. I was supposed to wear red to match Matt's tie. Is this grey suit okay? Am I sending a terrible message? Will the Queen hate me?"

Helen's questions have an edge of sarcasm along with an edge of real worry. She's incredibly excited to meet the Queen. She wants this event to go perfectly. But she also hates being micro-managed and thinks there is an element of ridiculousness to an office of people deciding what she should wear.

She sits back down and motions Josh and I towards a couch. We do have at least 20 minutes before we need to head downstairs. Matt is sitting there reading a newspaper. He hands a section to Josh as he sits down.

"You look fantastic. That grey suit is perfect. To be honest, I liked it better than the red anyway." I look at her shoes. She's still wearing the red heels that match the other suit. Should I suggest she switch to black? The red pops but I'm not sure we want to draw attention that way.

I glance towards Josh. I wonder if I should ask him. He rarely offers an opinion on Helen's wardrobe, but when he's asked, he's surprisingly intuitive about things like this.

"Ouch." That was a good one Lulu. I massage my ribs, trying to get her to move her little feet. Today's going to be a long day. I could use a little cooperation.

I look up to see three pair of eyes looking at me with concern. I think everyone is on edge that I'm going to suddenly go into premature labor during the worse possible moment. Not that the thought hasn't crossed my mind as well, but I haven't had any real problems with this pregnancy. Let's not go looking for trouble.

"Just a strong kick everyone. I'm fine. We've still got two months to go."

When everyone's attention is off me and back to their newspapers, I scoot over to Josh.

"What do you think about Helen's shoes?" I whisper in his ear. He gives me a side eyed look for a minute, trying to figure out if I'm being flirty. So I follow up with another whisper "They matched the red suit perfectly, but I'm not sure it's a good idea with the grey. Too much attention?"

"What are you too whispering about over there?" Matt asks good-naturedly. He likes to tease us about our newlywed status, even though we are quickly approaching our first anniversary.

"Helen's shoes." Josh says bluntly. Helen lowers her newspaper and raises her eyebrow, but Josh is undeterred.

Matt grins at him, sensing a chance for fun. "They are pretty great shoes. Cost me a small fortune, but you know what they say, 'Happy Wife, Happy life.'"

"Well, sure, I totally understand that. I've spent my share on shoes too. But I'm concerned about the color, now that she's not wearing the red suit."

"I see what you mean." Matt says leering at Helen's legs with a smirk. She blushes prettily. 15 years of marriage hasn't slowed them down.

"Yeah, they really pop. They definitely draw attention to her legs."

" _JOSH_ , are you looking at my wife's legs?" Matt feigns annoyance.

"It's the shoes, Sir. But she does have great legs."

"Damn straight."

"OH MY GOD, you two. I'll go put on a pair of black heels. God forbid anyone look at my legs. You could have just said something, Donna."

"Well, yes, but where's the fun in that?" I reply with a smile. Helen is smiling too. The joking around seems to have relaxed her.

"But seriously, you don't have to change them. They look nice. They just kind of stand out. I just want you to be aware that if you wear them you might end up hearing about them on the news. It's totally up to you."

"I really don't think anyone is going to say anything about my shoes! Good grief, the Queen of England is coming for a state visit. Surely there must be more important things to talk about. And these shoes are really comfortable."

Shortly after we arrive at the South Portico, we hear the trumpeting of the horns, and the announcement-

"The President of the United States and Mrs. Helen Santos."

Josh and I watch and they walk hand-in-hand out of the building, waiving to the crowds. Approximately 7,000 people are present to witness the arrival of the Queen. I can see Vice-President Baker and Dottie Baker, along with Secretary of State Vinick and Annabeth at the front of the VIP section. Hmmm. I think I need to follow up on that. Annabeth hasn't said much since the inauguration but maybe she's getting over Leo. Behind them is the rest of the American and British delegations, the British Embassy staff, Members of Congress and all of the Cabinet along with their families. Most of the rest of the White House Staff are out there as well, although there are a few interns stuck inside manning the offices.

The President and First Lady take their spots at the red carpet, and a few seconds later the limo pulls up. As the door is opened, the President steps forward as the speaker announces-

"Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II and His Royal Highness The Prince Phillip, Duke of Edinburgh."

The President and Queen walk together up the stairs to the small dais, while Mrs. Santos and Prince Phillip follow behind.

The Queen is wearing a white jacket trimmed with black buttons, and black lace at the sleeves and collar. Her skirt is black. She's wearing white gloves and carrying a small black handbag. She's also wearing her trademark hat, at first it appears black but I see that its actually white, covered in black lace. It has a large black and white flower adorning it. She is, at the same time, both utterly regal and adorable. I can't help my broad smile. I can't believe, I'll get to meet her in person. I hope my Mom and Bella are watching on C-Span right now.

The Marine Corp Band plays God Save the Queen, followed by the Star Spangled Banner. Then the President and the Queen step off the dias to review the troops. They appear to be chatting while doing so. I'd love to know what she's saying. Mrs. Santos and Prince Phillip stay behind and appear to be having a conversation of their own. This is the perfect opportunity for Josh and I to take our places near the Vice-President and Mrs. Baker in the VIP Section.

After they have reviewed the troops on the South Lawn, the President and the Queen return to the reviewing stand to observe the Old Guard Fife and Drum Corps perform. The corps is wearing colonial style uniforms with tri-fold hats. They are very good and quite entertaining.

When the performance is finished, the President steps up to the podium. "Helen and I are honored to Welcome back to the United States Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II and His Royal Highness The Prince Phillip Duke of Edinburgh. The United Kingdom has written many of the greatest chapters of history, they are our friends and allies. We are united in our joint commitment to move the world toward peace, and also toward greater human rights such as life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. We stand together today a symbol of that commitment, and we look forward to celebrating our friendship this evening."

President Santos steps back and the Queen moves forward. It's hard to believe that she's 81. She speaks softly, but eloquently, with a gentle smile. "Thank you, President Santos. Indeed the United Kingdom and the United States enjoy a unique relationship. This is a moment to take stock of our present friendship, rightly taking pleasure from its strengths while never taking these for granted, and it is the time to look forward, jointly renewing our commitment to a more prosperous, safer and freer world."

Once the Queen has finished, the Commander of the Troops indicates that the ceremony has concluded. President Santos and the Queen, along with their spouses walk toward the White House. Josh and I follow behind.

As we head toward the Blue Room for the photo opportunity, I hear small bits of the conversation between the Queen and Helen.

"Lovely ceremony, just lovely. I do enjoy a good drum and fife corps, you know. And by the way, your shoes are just fabulous."

My eyes whip over to Josh to see if he overheard the comment. His barely repressed smirk tells me he did. It takes all my will power not to burst out laughing. I hope Annabeth is prepare to spin, because if I had any doubt before, now I know for sure we're going to be hearing about these shoes again.

In the Blue Room, the White House Photographer takes several photos with the Queen and the President, then with their spouses, then the Vice-President and Mrs. Baker and the Prime Minister and his wife join in. There will be many more photographs taken tonight at the State Dinner.

In the mean time, the Queen and Prince Phillip will be attending a garden party at the British ambassador's residence. I imagine that will truly be something. I'd like to observe, but it's a private event.

Just when I think I'm going to have to wait until this evening to meet the Queen, Helen motions me forward.

"Your majesty, may I present my Chief of Staff, and good friend, Donna Lyman."

I give a little curtsy and immediately feel kind of silly. It's not required and none of the other Americans have been doing it, but damn it, I've been practicing for this moment since I was 6!

"Oh, you're having a baby. How lovely." The Queen pats my belly and Lulu gives her a little kick. But The Queen smiles at me. "A fiesty one. How nice."

I don't think I'll ever stop smiling.

As the British delegation leaves, I hear Josh murmur in my ear. "You curtsied for the Queen." There is a hint of amusement in his voice.

"Shut it, Lyman."

"Donnatella, you crack me up." He puts his hand on my back and guides me toward the door.

I'm sure Josh will want to check in on his office before getting ready for tonight's dinner. And I have some last minute things I want to check on as well, but right now, I need to eat. I'm very relieved when he steers me towards the residence. "Lunchtime for my queen and princess." He whispers in my ear.

After lunch, I head down to the State Dining Room. Thirteen Tables, 134 guests, Five Courses, White Tie. No pressure. I take a deep breath and let it out slowly. I haven't been solely responsible for planning all of this. Thank God. But ultimately Helen is the hostess and so ultimately I feel like the buck stops with me.

I smile as I see that the Chief Usher, Chief of Protocol and Head Florist are all here checking up on things as well. The tables are all set and an aide is walking around with the Chief of Protocol making sure each person is placed at the correct spot. Josh was not happy to learn that couples are not seated together. As White House Chief of Staff, he's hosting his own table. I'm seated with the Secretary of Education.

The Chief Usher is examining each place setting with a ruler to make sure the vermeil silverware is precisely placed. I haven't heard of any protests, but I'm glad Danny Conconnan isn't around to try to rile anyone up.

The Florist smiles as she sees me and hurries over. "The arrangements are complete. We'll keep them downstairs in the coolers until 5. Would you like to see them?"

"Yes, I'll be down shortly." I have just enough time to check in with the Chief Usher and the Head Chef and make a trip through the florist shop before going back up stairs to begin getting ready.

At 4 o'clock, Josh joins me in our room on the third floor.

"It's no Lincoln bedroom, but it is rather handy to have our own bedroom here, isn't it?" He says stripping off his jacket as he comes through the door.

"Definitely. I wouldn't have been able to get nearly as much done today if I'd had to go home to change."

A look of concern crosses Josh's face. "You're not doing too much, are you? You haven't been on your feet all day, have you?"

"Josh. Look at me." He stops and his eyes gaze down my body. "What am I doing right now?"

"Sitting in a chair with your feet up."

"I'm being careful. I'm taking good care of Lulu. I promise."

He comes over and leans down to give me a kiss. "Thank you."

"You're welcome. Now go take your shower, I'm going to need help dressing." The dresses have undergone a lot of vetting and coordination. It's important that no one outshine the Queen or the First Lady. Mine is ice blue. I hope it still fits.

During the pre-dinner reception, the English ambassador makes a bee-line for me. He grabs both of my hands and puts them to his mouth for loud smacking kisses, then he looks me over with rakish eyes.

"Oh dear Lord, you are huge with child! I suppose this means you'd no longer like me to make arrangements with Edward, Earl of Ulster."

"Lord John, it's always entertaining to see you again." Josh says through gritted teeth.

He needs to relax. Yes, Lord Marbury is wildly inappropriate, but he's generally harmless. It's better just to laugh.

Lord John looks at Josh. Puts on his glasses, and looks him over again.

"You look familiar. Are you the new Gerald?"

"Yes, I'm Josh Lyman, Chief of Staff to President Santos. We've met a dozen times. And this is Donna," he emphasizes the words, " _my wife_."

"Ah yes, the fair Donnatella, I know her well. I suppose you did that to her." He gestures at my stomach, which is prominently displayed in my silk mermaid style gown.

"Yes, of course," Josh hisses, "the baby is mine." Josh wraps his arm around me protectively, or maybe it's possessively, I'm not quite sure.

"Well, then, congratulations, old man, you know, a baby fills a place in your heart that you never knew was empty." He gives a wise nod, then notices someone across the room.

"I must be gone. There are drinks to be drunk and women to be ogled."

I'm left standing there, a bit overwhelmed, but oddly pleased.

"For being a complete lunatic, that man has odd moments of clarity." Josh mutters.

"I'm glad you think so. He's seated at your table."


	47. Sam & Ainsley's Wedding: The Best Man

Donna settles down into her seat and I suddenly realize that I finally understand how Toby felt about Andy flying. There's just something about it that doesn't feel right. What did he call it? A flying death tube. Atmospheric cabin pressure, wind sheer, down drafts and burning jet fuel. Ugh.

But the alternative was a 7 hour road trip. That doesn't sound appealing at this stage either. Plus since she has to pee every 5 minutes it probably would have been a lot longer than that.

At least on the way back we get to fly Airforce One. That'll be much better. I hate flying commercial but Sam needs his best man for the rehearsal dinner tonight. And Donna insisted that we take today off, and arrive in Asheville before lunch.

I really wish Sam had eloped. Not as much as Sam wishes he'd eloped but close. He and Ainsley left last night after work. By 10pm, I already had a text from him saying "you were right." I knew exactly what he meant.

Although, it has been fun watching Ainsley unspooling over the last few weeks. She calls Donna right after every phone call from her mother. Donna's job is to talk Ainsley out of eloping. I asked Donna why she bothered, when obviously it would be easier on all of us if they just eloped. Donna said that after the wedding was basically planned, Ainsley made her promise that no matter how crazy things got she wouldn't let her elope. Donna was so cute, imitating Ainsley's southern drawl- "I know at some point I'm going to want to, but we've spent too much time and money now. Don't let me do it."

And Donna is such a good friend, no matter how much she had on her own plate planning the State Visit, she listened to Ainsley complain about her mother, and her cousins, and the caterer, and the florist, and then said a variation of the same thing almost every time. "It'll all work out. At the end of the day, on September 22, Sam will be your husband. You'll have amazing pictures and funny stories, and you'll probably even end up liking your family again."

The first time I heard her talking Ainsley off the ledge, she was so convincing that I felt terrible for depriving her of a big wedding of her own. When she got of the phone, I'd started to apologize, but she cut me off with a passionate kiss, and said "I'm so glad we eloped. We are brilliant."

The flight attendants are coming by. They are going to tell Donna she's got to get off the phone. She nods and I hear her say-

"I gotta go. They're making us turn off our phones. I'll be there in two hours. You can make it that long without killing your sister, I promise. Okay, I'll see you then."

She hangs up and turns and grins at me. "Seriously. So glad we eloped."

As soon as the plane is ready to disembark, Phil and Jackie escort us off. While nothing beats Airforce One, commercial with a secret service detail isn't quite so bad. Last ones on, First ones off. There is a golf cart waiting to take us out the back to the waiting SUVS. There is a lot more secret service presence in general. With the sitting and former Presidents attending the wedding, Ron needed to secure the Church and the Reception Venue anyway, incorporating our detail really wasn't a big deal at all.

I don't know how they do it but our luggage is already loaded in the SUV by the time we get there. Sometimes the perks really do outweigh the hassle. Plus, I just feel like I can breathe a little easier knowing that Donna and Lulu are being guarded around the clock.

"Wow!" I gasp as we pull up to the Crown Plaza hotel & resort. I've been to plenty of hotels. This one is pretty fancy.

"I know!" Donna gushes. "Ainsley's parents brought us over to see it when we were down here for the shower."

It really does live up to its name. The building looks like a castle.

"The reception is here, too. It makes it really convenient for guests."

Once we are in our suite, Donna unzips the garment bag and starts to hang our clothes up. My suits look fine but I wonder if we should send her dress out to get steamed? I wonder when I started thinking about things like that?

"Is your dress okay?"

"It'll be fine, Ainsley's going to have them all steamed tomorrow morning while we are getting our hair done."

"So what's on the agenda for today?"

"Ainsley and the bridesmaids all have spa appointments in about" she looks at her watch, "90 minutes. Then the rehearsal starts at 5:30, at the church. The rehearsal dinner will be back here around 7."

"Okay, what am I supposed to do while you're at the Spa?"

She gives me one of those looks. The one that asks "Are you stupid?" without really saying the words.

"Don't you and Sam ever talk? You see him, like, every day."

"At work! I see him at work! And we talk about, you know, work stuff. We're trying to run a country here, Donnatella."

"Well, if you are going to take a tone with me, I'm not going to tell you what you're doing." She sniffs.

I think this is just banter. But it's getting harder to tell the difference between banter and a mood swing. The best bet is to apologize, whether or not I think I did anything wrong.

"I'm sorry, baby, I didn't mean to take a tone."

She gives me a little glare which I think is playful, but I hold my breath to see. Then she grins at me. Whew!

"The groomsmen are golfing while the girls are in the spa. 9 holes."

"Really?" My voice gets kind of high. But I'm really excited. I haven't had very many opportunities to golf this year. There is just too much to do.

"You really didn't know? Sam didn't tell you?"

"No, I don't think so. I think I would have remembered. Damn! I didn't bring any golf stuff. Do you think they have a pro shop?"

"I packed stuff for you. Your golf shoes are in the side pocket. Ainsley's Dad said they'd have clubs for you."

"Is this why you said we had to take the day off and be here by noon?"

"It is."

"You are absolutely the best."

"I am, aren't I?" She grins at me. She really is. I pull her as close as I can with Lulu between us, and give her a sweet kiss. God, I just love her so much.

"How about lunch? It's almost noon. I bet you two are hungry."

"Famished. There's a restaurant on-site. Why don't you call Toby and tell him we're here. I'll call Ainsley and see if she and Sam can meet us."

Lunch with just the six of us is a great way to start the festivities. Ainsley is a little frazzled but managing to hold it together. Sam is his usually amiable self. Toby and Will managed to make small talk without taking each other's heads off, but I'm glad I'm not going to be in their foursome. Toby isn't really much of a golfer, but Charlie couldn't get down here until later, and Toby really would do anything for Sam. They are paired with Ainsley's brothers. It could be highly entertaining.

"You going to be okay?" I ask Donna giving her a kiss as we are ready to part ways.

"I'll be fine."

"If you are getting a massage, make sure you get someone certified in pre-natal massage."

"I will."

"Seriously, I want you to ask to see their certification." Will rolls his eyes. Just wait buddy, your time will come.

"Yes, dear." I know that tone. She's placating me.

"Well, listen to that, what a good wife you've got there, son."

I don't recognize this man, but I think I literally felt Donna's hackles rise.

"Daddy!" Ainsley says with some exasperation. Then she takes a deep breath and smiles.

"Daddy, this is Josh Lyman. You already met Donna at the shower."

"Yes, I did. Good to meet you, son." He sticks out his hand and I give it a solid shake. I'd really like him to stop calling me son, but I can handle it.

"Josh, this is my Father, Earle Hayes."

"Nice to meet you, sir"

Ainsley introduces Toby and Will to her father. Then Sam introduces them to his Dad.

"Good to see you again, Josh, it's been awhile. Congratulations."

"Thanks, Norm. It's good to see you too."

"Well, let's let these little ladies go make themselves pretty, while we hit the links, shall we?" Earle suggests.

Ainsley looks embarrassed, while Donna looks like she wants to belt him. This could be an interesting weekend.

I made eye contact with Sam and watch him grimace. I wonder how long he can hold his tongue. And even if _he_ can, Toby has no incentive.

We follow Earle down to the lobby and then to the golf entrance. Phil follows discretely behind us. When we arrive, Sam introduces us to Ainsley's brothers.

"Josh, Will, Toby, these are Ainsley's brothers, Duke and Beau." Ainsley's brothers are blonde, tall, and broad-chested. I bet they both played football. They're a lot more intimidating looking than Sean and Finn. But they smile and shake our hands, so hopefully it's all good.

"So, what's the deal with that, there?" Duke drawls, pointing to my detail.

"Well, I'm the Chief of Staff to the President of the United States. That is my secret service detail."

"Would they shoot me if I punched you?"

Phil's posture tenses slightly. "Let's not find out." I don't think he'd shoot Beau but I think he'd take him down pretty quickly.

"Okay," he grins. That was an odd little exchange. I really hope he doesn't challenge my detail, or God forbid, one of the Presidents'.

Once the carts are lined up, ready to go, Toby and Will quickly slide into one, together. I guess the devil you know sort of thing. Sam slides in behind the wheel of another and I follow leaving the two Dads to each other.

"Well, this could be bad on so many levels." Sam mutters.

"Do you want me to switch places with one of them?" I'm the best man, it's my job to throw myself on a grenade for him if need be this weekend.

"God, no!" He exclaims as we follow behind them toward the first tee.

"So what does Earle do for a living?"

"Tobacco."

"Really?"

"Yeah. Old money, it all traces back to tobacco."

"Right. . . . You must really like Ainsley."

He gets his boyish grin, and responds- "yeah, I really do." See, that there is good best man work. Reminding the groom how much he loves his bride. Check.

We make it to fourth hole on just small talk. Then Earle starts schooling Sam on the sacredness of marriage, the significance of monogamy and the importance of fidelity.

I hear Sam mutter under his breath- "you just said three things that all mean the same thing." I shoot him a look. Do you really want to get into it on the golf course with your future father-in-law the day before the wedding?

Norm is looking less and less comfortable as Earle rattles on. Does he not know about Sam's parents? Does he not care that it took a long time for Sam to get back on speaking terms with his Dad? I guess not, because he just keeps going.

"And I'm just telling you now, Son, that if you ever cheat on my daughter, the boys and I will hunt you down the way a low-life scoundrel should be, and we will personally make sure you are incapable of ever cheating on her again. If you get my drift."

"Sam understands the consequences of infidelity better than you know. _My son_ , would never cheat on Ainsley. Of that, I have no doubt." Norm says fiercely.

Sam is incredibly tense. I can't say I blame him, but if I can I'm going to try to keep him from saying something he'll regret. The truth is he probably doesn't disagree with either of them. It's just the condescending tone they're both using that is getting under his skin.

"Look! The beer cart!" I wave it over. Not that adding alcohol to this situation is necessarily going to make it any better, but at least it's a distraction.

"Hey, Josh, Donna told me to remind you, no more than one beer." Sam looks very relieved for the change in conversation.

Earle looks at me intently. "You're not going to let her tell you what to do are you? Who wears the pants in your family, son?"

"Donna does!" Sam and I say at the same time. We grin at each other. We just have to tolerate these guys for a couple days, then we can go back to our happy lives, with our gorgeous blondes who know what they want.

I've never been happier for a round of golf to be over in my life. Toby, Will and I make a bee-line back towards our rooms, leaving Sam and Norm to the in-laws.

"So how was golfing with the good ol' boys?" I ask Toby and Will. We didn't really see much of them out there.

"Painful, incredibly painful." Toby utters.

"Not really conversationalists?"

"Let's just say they didn't have a broad range of subjects upon which to speak." Will says diplomatically. He has a special knack for over looking stupidity.

"Let's just say the only thing good I can say about that was at least they didn't speak in iambic pentameter." Toby grouses.

"I don't know," Will contemplates, "that might actually have been interesting."

When I get back to the room, Donna is just getting out of the shower. I'm just in time to see some naked wife. This day is starting to look better. I reach for the towel, when she throws me for a loop.

"Josh, how long have I been pregnant?"

Is this a trick question? It feels like a trick question. She knows she's 34 weeks pregnant. Right? I'm about to answer when she says-

"A hundred years? It feels like a hundred years. Why didn't anyone tell me you're pregnant forever?"

Ah, pregnancy fatigue. The book mentioned this. Women sometimes just get tired of being pregnant. The last few weeks can feel really long.

I smile at her softly. "C'mere." I wrap my arms around her, and whisper in her ear- "You're so amazing. Just a little while longer now, and I'll start getting a turn to carry her sometimes."

"That's sweet. Really." She cups my cheek, "but I'm ready to evict this kid in a couple weeks. Seriously. 6 weeks seems like forever from now."

"I know. I wish I do could it for you."

"Ha! You wouldn't last one day."

"Well, you're right about that."

"So how was your massage?"

"It was good. It was a lot different than any other massage I've had, but my back feels a lot better. He was really fantastic."

"HE?!" I feel my blood pressure go up. The thought of another man's hands on my wife. . .

"Josh." She says my name softly and I look into her eyes. I don't know how she's always known how to say my name exactly the right way in any situation, but she does. Just the one word and I'm instantly back to earth. I have nothing to be concerned about.

"Sorry. Caveman reaction. All better." I tell her sheepishly.

"Good, now there's something I want to show you," she says, dropping the towel.


	48. Sam & Ainsley's Wedding: The Rehearsal

I'm pretty happy with my life. I'm married to an amazing man, my best friend. We're having a baby in less than 2 months, and we're about to help two of our dearest friends tie the knot. What's not to like? Other than the fact that my new best friend is practically in tears because her Mother is still harassing her about the order the bridesmaids are going to walk down the aisle.

Ainsley has been mostly meek and agreeable with all her Mom's last minute changes, but I think she's at her breaking point. When we talked at the Spa, she said for a lot of these things, she just doesn't care that much. It's not worth the fight. But she promised me that if something was important to her she'd stand up to her mother. It looks like this is the moment.

"Mother! Enough. We are not changing how the bridal party walks down the aisle. Sam and the groomsmen will enter from the side. For the last time, they are NOT going to walk the girls down the aisle."

"Ainsley, you know that traditionally only the Maid of Honor enters by herself."

"I don't care. This is how I want it. Then Leighton, Aberdeen, Dixie, Savannah, Donna and Brinley, then Hunter and Gunner, then Magnolia and Clementine, then me. Reverse order- that's traditional."

"Well, but your cousins should be higher, and that way Donna can exit with Charlie."

"Mother. Do not say one more word. Not. one. more. If you do, I will grab Sam walk out those doors and go find a justice of the peace. You know I will."

Daisy Hayes snaps her mouth shut and tightens her jaw. The look in her eyes says that she totally believes Ainsley's threat. I have to say, I wouldn't stop her if it came down to it. This _is_ too important to ignore. At first, I thought it was about me. But it's become quite clear that it's about Charlie. Daisy doesn't really want him in the wedding.

I'm so glad we are in a back room where the guys can't hear this. Oh, I will definitely eventually tell Josh and Sam. They are going to be so proud of Ainsley for the way she's standing up to her Mom. But if any of them, especially Toby, over heard this, they'd have ripped Mrs. Hayes to shreds. And rightly so.

"Now, Donna, would you be a dear and tell them we are ready for the final run through?" Ainsley asks me sweetly.

"Sure. No problem." And thank God. The sooner we are done with this, the sooner we get to eat.

The Wedding coordinator lines us all up again, and I stand here trying not to fidget. My feet are killing me. I really should have worn flats.

The music starts, and Leighton goes down the aisle first. Really she is a good choice to lead things off. She's Ainsley's cousin. She's about 26, and she's very pretty. Ainsley's other cousin, Aberdeen is next. She's 25ish, a petite brunette. They perform very well, but then that's why they were chosen. Ainsley has a lot of cousins. She's not super close to any of them. When I asked her why she chose these two, she'd said they were "ringers."

"Donna, I have to have at least 6 bridesmaids or the wedding will look small. These two are practically professional. They've been in at least 12 weddings between the two of them. They'll know what to do. They'll happily buy whatever dress I pick, and it will get my Mother off my back."

All I'd said was "Well, okay then." But I went home that night and jumped Josh's bones for suggesting that we get married in Hawaii. That man is brilliant.

Next is Beau's wife Dixie. She's also a petite brunette, 30 years old and very perky. I really think she did study baton twirling. One of the flower girls, Clementine, is her daughter.

Next is Savannah. Duke's wife. Mother of the ring bearers, Hunter and Gunner. Their names still make me shake my head. I'm not shocked that Ainsley's family are gun enthusiasts. I just can't quite wrap my arms on having it be so important you'd name your children after an issue. At least it gives me a little more insight on why gun control is such a huge battle. It seems so obvious to me that gun reform is necessary, I've never really grasped why it's so hard to achieve. But I guess if the other side is naming their kids to show how strongly they feel, it just goes to show it's not going to be easy.

I start to ready myself to go down the aisle next. The first thing Ainsley did when she saw me this morning was to promote me to Matron of Honor. I'd talked her out of that. She truly has become one of my dearest friends, and I'd be honored, but her family would never forgive her.

The doors open and I walk slowly down the aisle to the sound of "Air on a G-string." Sam is smirking. This was his only real contribution to the ceremony, other than purchasing the rings, and offering Ainsley his name, if she'll have it. I'm not sure whether or not she's decided. It's kind of ironic, actually. He's the feminist but he really wants her to take his name, while she's the conservative contemplating keeping her own. When she asked me why I took Josh's last name my answer was easy, I want the world to know.

Josh is standing tall next to Sam. He's not smirking. He's looking at me in a way that makes me want to run down the aisle to him. I could live a thousand years and never get enough of that look.

I manage to keep the right pace, even though it feels like it takes forever to get to the front of the church. Once I'm there I smile softly at Josh and take my spot.

I turn slightly toward the doors and see that Brinley is about halfway down the aisle. Ainsley's sister is not what I expected. Ainsley is so professional, so opinionated, so smart, and so sweet, I guess I expected the same thing in a slightly older version. I was surprised to discover that Brinley is actually Ainsley's younger sister by two years. She's a simpering, sickly sweet, trophy wife. Her husband is at least 20 years older and an executive with a soda company in Georgia. Her world revolves around trying to make sure her family projects the right image. The children appear to be window dressing and it shows in their behavior. I wondered why the 3 year old, Stonewall, wasn't in the wedding until I met him. I think it's a very good thing that he and his baby sister will be home with a nanny during the ceremony. Of course, Brinley was lobbying for Stone and Scarlett to be in the wedding right up to the last minute.

Not even five minutes ago I heard her wheedling Ainsley. "Someone can pull them down the aisle in a wagon. I'll be cute."

From what I've seen, I highly doubt the kid would have stayed in a wagon unless heavily medicated. I'm glad Ainsley stood firm on that one too.

The twins are coming down the aisle now. They are cuties, blonde haired, blue-eye, future heart-breakers, without a doubt. But they are very well behaved. They walk slowly, and carry the pillows carefully up to Josh. He takes the rings from them with a wink.

I can't believe they are practicing with the real rings. It seems like a disaster waiting to happen. But Ainsley just shrugged when I suggested fake rings for the ring bearers. They're insured. Besides, neither of them would take a chance of disappointing Duke. They can handle it.

Next are Magnolia and Clementine. They have their baskets, but no flower petals to practice with. The wedding coordinator coached them to drop a few every foot or so. Clementine appears to be practicing. Magnolia is whining. "I'm hungry. Why do we have to do this again?" I know they are only five, but it's not _that_ late. Maggie is really getting on my nerves. Clemmie seems to be fine. Earlier Josh declared that their nicknames were adorable. I think he's afraid these "uncommon names" are going to push me away from his choice and towards mine. Silly man, like I'm not already completely familiar with what it's like to have an uncommon name.

I glance over at Josh to see how he's doing. His mouth is set in a grim line. He doesn't have much tolerance for whiny children, even though for much of the time I've known him he's only been a step above it himself.

When the little girls get to the front and take their places next to their Mothers, the music fades out, and the Wedding March begins. The doors open and Ainsley is standing on her Father's arm. Even though she's not wearing a wedding dress yet, it takes my breath away.

She's looking at Sam like he set the stars in the sky. I can't help but look over at him and see that he's returning the look. No matter how crazy the wedding planning, or how complicated pulling it off actually is, this is all that matters, the way they look at each other. Tomorrow, they'll declare their vows in the presence of a lot of witnesses, but truthfully, they've already made their commitment to each other and you can see it on their faces right now.

Once Ainsley makes it to the front, the coordinator reminds everyone on how the ceremony will proceed. I get Brinely's flowers to hold so she can take Ainsley's. Josh hands Sam the rings at the right moment. And then minister let's Sam and Ainsley practice their kiss again.

Sam makes it a good one. Not stopping until Earle clears his throat, saying "That's enough, son." Josh and Toby are grinning. I really hope he does that tomorrow too.

Sam and Ainsley head down the aisle first. Josh shoots me a little pout as he takes Brinley's arm and follows behind. Then Toby smiles brightly at me as he takes my arm.

"Boy did I get lucky. Narrow escape there." He whispers conspiratorially. I grin at him.

Once we are all at the back of the church, the coordinator reminds us about the reception line. It worked out perfectly as far as I'm concerned. Since the bridesmaids are standing to the right of the groomsmen, Josh and I ended up next to each other.

The coordinator claps her hands. "Okay, everyone. That's a wrap here. Dinner should be ready when we get back to the hotel."

"Thank god." Josh mutters. "I'm starving."

"You did very well, honey. You didn't whine at all." I pat his arm, teasingly.

"Hey, I have the patience of an adult." He looks over at Magnolia who is laying on the floor. "Good thing too. There are enough children here." He steers me towards the SUV. Toby, Charlie and Will fall into line behind us, glad to be getting a ride from us, rather than someone in Ainsley's family.

"Yet another reason I'm glad we eloped." I say as we climb in.

" _Our_ nieces and nephews would have been fine." Josh insists. "But yeah, absolutely no regrets on my end either."

"Hey Charlie, are you taking notes?" I ask him with a wink. I know he's got a 3 year plan in his head.

"Oh yeah. Believe me, after Ellie's wedding, I was already thinking about how to avoid a fuss. At least we don't have to worry about it being in the White House."

"Hey Toby, I need a favor." Josh says over his shoulder.

"What?"

"Well, I'm supposed to give a toast tomorrow, and I haven't really figured out what to say."

"Why don't you, know, wait a few more hours to ask me? I mean how long have you known that you're supposed to be the best man? And, if I write the speech, doesn't that, in fact, make me the best man?"

"Alright, alright, I'll do it myself."

"Well, I didn't say I wouldn't."

Once everyone is seated, Norm stands up and clicks his glass. As the father of the groom, he's the host for this dinner, so it's his job to start off the toasts.

"I want to thank you all for being part of Sam and Ainsley's wedding. As you know, Sam is our only child. That is until tomorrow, when we welcome Ainsley into our family with open arms. She has been a ray of sunshine in our lives. I think we probably have her to thank for the time that they spent back in California. We are so proud of both of them for their service to President Santos and to our country, but we hope to lure them back to the West Coast when they get around to giving us grandchildren. You know Sam, you could take a page out of Josh's book and get her pregnant in the first year!"

Everyone titters a little bit. And Sam says "I'm not as old as Josh! I can afford to wait a couple more years."

There is more laughter, as Josh gives him a little shove. Sam's over 40 and Ainsley's almost there. They might not want to wait too long. Plus, I'd love it if Lulu had another cousin.

"Anyway," Norm continues "I just want to say," he clears his throat, "I might not have set a good example for Sam, but he's a better man than I am. I know he'll do right by you Ainsley. Welcome to the family."

When Norm sits down, Earle stands up. It's all I can do not to groan.

"Well, _we_ know we raised _Ainsley_ right. Even though I haven't agreed with all her choices. I knew letting her go to Smith College was a bad idea. But she's done alright for herself, and at least she's ready to settle down now. Sam, you're a fine looking man. I know that you and Ainsley will have beautiful children. And I agree with Norm, the sooner the better. You aren't that young. And when you do, you can leave the Washington cesspool, and move here, we'll find a place for you in the company. So, welcome to the family, son. Now, let's eat!"

He walks over toward the buffet, that is set up against the wall. I guess that is the signal. The rest of our table stands up and follows him, and soon everyone else joins the line.

Josh leans down and whispers in my ear. "If that was any indication about how the rest of the night is going to go, I may need to fake a stroke." I get chills. I don't like to hear him talk like that.

"If it gets too bad, I'll make an excuse for us. No one will think twice if the pregnant lady needs to leave early."

"Good idea. You're a brilliant political operative."

"Is this politics?" I ask him.

"It always is, baby. It always is."

Everyone else stops to chat on the way back to the table, but Josh and I are both starving. We get back to the table before anyone else, and immediately start to eat. After a few bites, Josh looks kind of dejected.

"What's the matter, babe?"

"I thought we'd get real Southern Cooking. This is all fancy food and it's not that great."

"Shhh! Josh! You know better than that. You don't complain about the food while you're still in the venue. You never know who will overhear. You need to think of this as a fundraiser. Put on your political operative big boy pants and be polite!" I whisper a bit harshly at him.

"But Donna, I'm hungry, and the last thing I want is for any of these folks to be donating to a political campaign! You know they're not on our side." He angry whispers back at me.

"You just said it's _all_ politics!"

"Donna . . ."

"And you also said you have the patience of an adult." I give him a look. He has the good grace to look sheepish, so I relent a little. "Eat enough to hold you over, and when we get back to the room you can order room service."

"Thanks, baby. You really are the best."

"Yes. Yes, I am."


	49. Sam & Ainsley's Wedding: The Ceremony

"I'm back." Donna calls out as she enters our room. "I decided to get dressed here. Too many small children in Ainsley's suite."

"Well, this is a pleasant surprise." I swing my legs off the bed and stand up to give her a hug and a kiss.

"Nice look." She says with a smile. I'm still in my boxers and t-shirt. It really doesn't take me that long to get dressed. I've got plenty of time.

"Do you like my hair?" She asks brightly.

Not particularly, but I'm not going to tell her that. It's one of those times where word choice is really important.

"Fancy!" I turn the mega-watt grin and dimples on and she assumes that I just said yes. Works for me.

She grins back. "I'm going to get dressed now. Maybe you should too?"

"I'll watch you first."

"Okay."

Donna sits down on the couch, and looks up at me. "Can you unbuckle my sandals?" I'm happy to help. As I take each one off, I caress her calves and ankles. I'm glad to see they aren't swollen. I'm concerned about her being in heels all day.

"Can you hand me that package?" She points to a bag on the desk. When I hand it to her she pulls out a flat, rectangular envelope. Ah, new pantyhose. But when she opens it and starts to put them on, I feel my eye-brows shoot up past my hairline. And that's not the only part of me that reacts. Those aren't pantyhose, they're thigh-high stockings.

She pretends not to notice but I see her sly smile. She's not impervious.

"Where- where'd ya get those?" I manage to squeak out.

"It was actually Brinley's idea. We were talking about how horrible pantyhose are at the end of pregnancy last night. After I told her how miserable I was, she suggested these. The bands at the top are sticky. So I don't even need a garter belt! I may never wear pantyhose again!"

"Okay with me." Maybe Brinley isn't so bad after all.

Once she has her legs full ensconced in the hose, she stands up, unties the wrap dress she wore to get her hair and make-up done, and let's it drop to the floor. My jaw drops with it.

She's just so incredible. The curve of her abdomen, the curve of her breasts, the curve of her ass. I adore her. I wish we had time for me to worship her right now. I groan slightly and she gives me a slightly sympathetic look. She isn't trying to tease me but I think she's genuinely pleased that her body still causes me to react so instantaneously.

She pads over to the closet and pulls out the dress. "Can you give me a hand?"

"Of course. Are we going over the head or stepping into it?"

"Stepping in." She unzips the dress and hands it to me to hold open. Then she takes my arm and puts one hand on the wall to steady herself as she steps through the opening. I help lift the top up so she can put her arms through the sleeves.

"Hold on. I'll zip you up." I move to her back and slowly slide the zipper up the column of alabaster skin. From this side you wouldn't even know she's pregnant. It's all baby, all up front.

Once I'm done our eyes meet in the mirror. She takes my breath away. The dress is floor length chiffon, The top part is lace. It doesn't really have sleeves, but it covers her shoulders. There's a wide belt just over her bump and when she puts her hand under her belly you can see the perfect roundness of it. She looks like a fertility goddess.

She looks at herself in the mirror and laughs. "I look like a tomato. A big giant tomato, why'd I talk Ainsley into this color? We could have had nice sage green dresses."

I'm torn between wanting to sing her praises, and laughing along with her. If the dresses were green, she'd be saying she looks like a head of lettuce or a Brussel sprout!

The laughter wins out. I can't help it. Sometimes she cracks me up. I wrap my arms around her. And she grins with me. I'm glad she's not mad.

"Oh god, Donna. Your body amazes me. The way it's changed to accommodate our baby. I'm absolutely breathless. You are a goddess." I put my hand next to hers and Lulu gives a few kicks in agreement. We hold each other for a few minutes, then Donna reminds me of our responsibilities.

"We've got to be downstairs for pictures in 15 minutes. You better get a move on."

"Yes, ma'am."

I dress pretty quickly. Then Donna straightens my tie and smooths the shoulders of my tux. She gives me a nod and smile. It's one of my favorite rituals.

"Too bad it's not a bow tie." She sighs.

"Yeah." I think once I get a certain age, I'm going to start wearing only bow ties and have Donna tie them for me every day. I wonder how old I'll have to be to get away with that?

"Don't tell Ainsley, but I'm kind of glad her Mom nixed the brown suits. You look sharp in that tux."

"I thought you liked my brown suits?"

"I do, but this is better. I mean, we look good."

We do. The grey tux is nice. The red vest and tie are a perfect match to Donna's dress. I'm normally not a big fan of renting, but this turned out okay.

"Alright, let's go." She links her arm through mine. At the elevator, she stops and gives me a kiss.

"You're meeting Sam in the lobby. You guys are going to the church to get some photos, while we take some here. Then they'll lock Sam up until the wedding. Your job is to keep him from bolting."

"He won't bolt. Even with the crazy in-laws, he doesn't have cold feet."

"I know. I meant you have to keep him from trying to find Ainsley. She's doing the traditional thing of not seeing him before the wedding."

"Okay. How are you getting to the church?"

"Ainsley's parents rented Limos."

I'm not really thrilled. I'd really rather our detail drove us. And there are enough extra agents that if we need two separate details that can be arranged. But really, there is nothing that suggests she's in any real danger from riding with the bridesmaids in the limo.

"Is Jackie going with you?"

"Yes."

"Okay then."

I'll be satisfied with that. It's just so hard to let them out of my sight sometimes. I can't even imagine sending Lulu to day care. I know we have to figure that out soon. I wonder if I can arrange for her to have her own detail?

When the elevator opens, Phil and I get on, while Jackie and Donna walk down the hall towards Ainsley's suite.

"So Phil, are you comfortable with Donna's arrangements?"

"Yes, sir, Jackie will ride in front with the driver. An SUV with 2 agents will follow. Ron wants more agents at the church before the special guests arrive anyway."

"I assume that roughly the same protocol applies to me."

"It depends." He says with a slight smirk.

"On what?"

"Whether or not you want to ride in the limo with Ainsley's brothers."

"Ha! Good point, but I wouldn't do that to Sam. I've got his back."

The pictures don't take that long. Thank goodness. The photographer gets group shots in front of the red church door, and some in front of the stone walls. Then she takes a few individual shots of Sam. He really could be in a Tommy Hilfiger ad. Then she takes a few individual ones of each of us. That's kind of nice. I bet the twins Mom will really like the pictures she got of them. They look really cute in their little bow ties and vests. She let them hang upside down from the railing for one of the shots.

Sam is pacing in front of the window. The shades are down so he can't see anything in case the girls walk by while they are getting their pictures outside of the church.

"Sam, why don't you have a seat?"

"Too much energy."

"Are you nervous?"

"Not at all. . . . I'm excited. Is this how you felt?"

"The J.O.P. had to hold me back from running down the aisle to meet her."

"Really?"

"Yeah. I'm telling you man, the doors are going to open and she's going to be standing there. And she's going to be so incredibly beautiful. It's going to hit you right here, I mean like, for real." I place my hand over my chest, recalling the feeling. "And your knees are going to feel a little weak, but you're also going to feel like you can do absolutely ANYTHING, because this woman, this incredible woman, is promising herself to you for life. And there's no other feeling in the world like it."

"Yeah?" Sam says with a slight smile.

"Yeah."

"How much longer?"

"Not much longer now."

Standing at the front of the church next to Sam is a bit surreal. A few years ago I never would have thought that either of us would make it to this point. Well, maybe Sam. He's always had a bit of a romantic streak. He may joke about wishing they had eloped but deep down, I know he's thrilled to be here in a big church, waiting for his bride to walk down the aisle on her father's arm, so that they can make their vows in front of God and two hundred and fifty of their closest friends.

This really is a nice church, Stone walls, lots of arches, stained glass windows. The music starts and I try to hold back my smirk. Sam really did a good one with this selection. I wonder how many people actually get it.

As Ainsley's cousins come down the aisle, I notice that their hair style is the same as Donna's. It's kind of weird. Their hair is smooth but there's an odd bump and then some little braids leading into a bun at the nape of the neck. It looks fine on them. I can't wait to get Donna's undone. I prefer it long and straight. This style doesn't let me run my fingers through her hair.

Ainsley's sisters in law come down the aisle next. I can only see Beau and Duke out of the corner of my eye, but they both smile broadly at their wives. I guess some things are universal.

My breath catches as the door opens and reveals Donna. Here she comes. She looks amazing. Definitely not like a tomato. She's still tall and willowy. And she's carrying our daughter with grace and strength. I honestly don't think she's ever looked more beautiful. She's smiling softly as she walks down the aisle with her eyes on mine. I can't help the grin on my face. I'm the luckiest man alive.

I watch Donna get settled in her space and when she looks up at me I give her a slow wink. Then I turn back towards the door. Brinley's almost all the way down the aisle. It won't be long now.

The boys are next. They walk solemnly up to me. I take the ring from the pocket in each of their pillows and cup them in my hand. Then they go stand by Duke.

The little girls are most of the way down the aisle when I notice Miranda Santos. She's watching them with what can only be described as a little bit of envy. It makes me feel a little bad that we eloped. She could have been our flower girl. But then the Flower Girls stop, and based on the looks they are giving each other, there could be blood shed. Instantaneously, the feeling of regret is gone.

"I'm out of petals! I need some of yours!" Maggie hisses loudly at her cousin. I can immediately see what the problem is. Maggie dropped a lot more flower petals early on and ran out, while Clemmie appears to have dropped exactly 1 petal every 12 inches. The aisle looks really funny. Clemmie looks to the front of the church for guidance. Her mother is nodding furiously, as is Brinley. Clemmie's lip pops out in an adorable pout, but she hold her basket out to her cousin who takes several fistfuls and transfers them into her own basket. The audience is trying to stifle their giggles while the girls finish the job and join their Moms on the stage.

When the music changes and the doors open, I see Sam sway like he just got hit in the chest. Now he knows the feeling too.

Ainsley is quite pretty. She's got this dress that is tight then suddenly puffy. Her hair is up in that crazy bump thing, but she's got a lot of curls coming out of hers, and falling over her shoulders. I didn't know she had that much hair. As she gets closer. I see that she has a tiara, I bite back the chuckle.

She doesn't hold a candle to Donna's simple cream dress and the flower tucked behind her ear. We didn't need the fuss and fanciness. And we certainly didn't need several hundred witnesses. We just needed each other.

When Ainsley and her Dad reach the front, the minister asks who gives this woman, and for a moment I worry that her Dad is going to say no. He's a little choked up, when he finally says "her Mother and I." I suddenly realize that someday I may have to give Lulu away. I can't even contemplate it.

Once the flower hand off has happened, and Ainsley's train is straightened, the minister starts the ceremony. Sam promises to love and cherish Ainsley, and she promises to love and cherish him. I can't see Sam's face, but she's grinning as she says it.

Then, I'm up when the minister says, "Do you have the rings?"

I've been clasping them in my hand ever since I got them from the twins. Sam holds his hand palm up and I place them gently into it. They might be a little sweaty. But he doesn't seem to mind.

"With this ring, I thee wed." He tells Ainsley, slipping hers onto her finger.

"With this ring, I thee wed." She responds putting his in place.

"By the power vested in me by the State of North Carolina, I now pronounce you man and wife. You may kiss your bride."

Sam pulls Ainsley close to him, then takes her face in his hands, and he kisses her like no one is watching. Good for him.


	50. Sam & Ainsley's Wedding: The Reception

The reception line is tedious, and my feet are starting to hurt. But I keep a smile on my face and say hello to everyone that comes through the line.

I feels like, mostly, it's Ainsley's family. I hear a lot of cousin, aunt and uncle in the introductions. Every once in while someone mentions that they are co-workers from California. Sam and Ainsley must really have made an impression for people to come that far for this wedding. But then senior staff comes through and it feels like home. Lou, Edie, Bram. Ginger and Margaret, Otto. Even though it's only been a few days, it feels really good to see them. I'm even glad to see Lionel Tribbey, although he still scares the crap out of me.

When the line is done, I'm disappointed. We haven't seen either of the Presidents or their families yet. I guess it's not surprising that they wouldn't wait in a line.

But when we go back into the church for group pictures, the Presidents are there, surrounded by their agents, having a nice chat. The first ladies are also conversing, while Zoey seems to be entertaining Peter and Miranda.

"Sam! Ainsley!" President Bartlet calls out, "I always had a feeling about you two. Now Sam, I believe you owe me a thank you for hiring her in the first place."

"Yes, I do Mr. President. Thank you." Sam says with a huge smile, he stretches out his hand for a handshake. But President Bartlet uses his out stretch hand to pull him into a hug.

"I'd really like you to call me Jed now."

"Yes, sir, Mr. President." Sam responds with a grin.

"Ainsley, I'd like a photo, if you don't mind."

"Me too!" President Santos chimes in.

"I'd be honored." Ainsley says with a smile.

As the photographer lines them up at the front of the church, Miranda comes over to Josh and I.

"I wish I could have been a flower girl. I would have done the petals right and not fought about it."

Josh leans down to her level. "I'm sure you would have, sweetheart."

"I need someone else to get married." She pauses a minute and wrinkles up her nose to think. Then, as she's called to the front, I hear her mutter, "maybe Ms. Schott and Mr. Vinick."

Josh and I look at each other and burst out laughing.

Once the photographs are done at the church, we head back to the resort. We'll be taking more there. We've got some time to kill while all the guest go through the security screening. This time Josh and I end up in an SUV with our detail. I don't mind. I could use a few minutes for just the two of us.

I lay my head on Josh's shoulder and he immediately begins to rub my back. That feels so good.

"Tired?" Concern laces his voice.

"Only a little. I'll be okay."

He tightens his arm around me. "God, I love you so much. You looked so incredible walking down that aisle. But our wedding was better." He says with a chuckle.

"I don't know, dualing flower girls is pretty funny. I hope they got that on video."

"Yeah, just what everyone wants from their wedding, a viral video. I got everything I needed from that day." He kisses the top of my head. Sometimes he can be so sweet.

The detail drives us around to the back of the resort, where the rest of the bridal party is spilling out of three limos. There are golf carts waiting to take us out on the greens. I'm really glad we don't have to walk.

It feels like forever, but eventually, the photos are all done and we are ready to enter the reception.

The DJ announces the bridal party in reverse order.

Hunter escorts Clemmie and Gunner escorts Maggie. They are really too cute.

Aberdeen and Will are announced, then walk in and move to their spots at the head table.

Next Charlie and Leighton walk in together. I was really pleased when I heard her give a blistering talk down to her aunt for suggesting that it was inappropriate.

Then Dixie and Beau, and then, Duke and Savannah.

I take Toby's arm and we make our way in together. "Thank you for the honor." He says as we find our seats.

Josh and Brinley are last. I'm not a fan of seeing someone else on his arm but I know I don't have anything to worry about. She's definitely not his type.

Ainsley figured out how to seat Josh and I together at the head table. Brinley, as her Matron of Honor is directly to her right, while Josh as the Best Man is directly to Sam's left. Then me and Toby are next to Josh, then Charlie and Leighton. On the other side Duke and Savannah are next to Brinley, then Beau and Dixie, then Will and Aberdeen. I almost feel sorry for Will.

We find our places, then wait. A few seconds later the DJ says- "and now, I'm pleased to announce for the first time, Mr. and Mrs. Sam Seaborn!"

As they cross the dance floor towards the table, Sam gives Ainsley a twirl, then dips her and kisses her passionately. Go Sam!

Then the music changes and we hear Frank Sinatra's voice crooning, "The Way You Look Tonight." Sam pulls Ainsley close and she rests her head on his chest, and they dance like they are the only two people in the room. It's incredibly sweet. I had expected them to do some sort of formal dance. I know they both know how, it was part of their upbringing. But this small moment of touting expectations is so much more like them. It's really the perfect way for them to start their marriage.

When the song ends, Sam and Ainsley make their way to the bridal table, and Earle steps up to the microphone. I find myself literally crossing my fingers in hopes that he doesn't say anything offensive.

"Thank you all for being here to help us celebrate the marriage of our daughter Ainsley to Sam Seaborn. Please join me in toasting to their happiness. To Mr. and Mrs. Sam Seaborn!"

He raises his glass and we all join him- "To Mr. and Mrs. Sam Seaborn!" I'm pleased that my glass is filled with ginger ale.

"Reverend Jamison will now say grace."

The minister makes his way to the microphone and gives a general blessing over the meal. And then we all sit down. At last. I know that it's completely inappropriate, but I kick my shoes off. I'm pretty sure my feet are swelling. Josh looks a little surprised, but smiles at me when I shoot him a pleading look to keep my secret.

Our meals are served fairly quickly to my great relief. I'm so hungry. I practically inhale my salad. Hope they bring the entrée soon. Josh passes his half-finished salad to me and I eat that as well.

"When do you give your speech?" I ask him.

"After the main course."

"Are you ready?"

"Yes."

"Did Toby write it?"

"No."

I look to Toby for confirmation and he nods. Well, this should be interesting.

A few minutes later the entrees are served. I got the eggplant parmesan. Josh has fried chicken. I 'm glad he got his southern cooking. I wonder if he's going to eat all of it.

"Here goes nothing." Josh mutters as he stands up, tapping his glass with a spoon. I smile at him. I'm sure he'll be fine.

"Hi everyone. I'm Josh Lyman. You know when Sam asked me to be his best man, he knew it would mean me giving this speech, so I'm not sure why he didn't ask Toby."

"Me neither." Toby mutters and everyone twitters. Josh continues on.

"Sam and I served as legislative aides shortly out of law school, and became lifelong friends. Sam defected from government service a few times, to go make boat loads of money, but he always comes back when I need him."

He pauses to give Sam a very warm smile, and mouths "thank you." Sam mouths back "you're welcome."

"Sam's support through the years has meant so much to me. He's given me great advice, including suggesting a vacation that changed my life. We've had some really good times, and some really bad times. Most of which have made the nightly news." There is more laughter.

"One that you probably haven't heard about was when the heat went out in the White House and we started a fire in a fireplace that had been closed for a hundred years."

"I knew it was them!" President Bartlet exclaims from his table and everyone laughs. Charlie gives them a disgruntled look.

"But the best story from our early White House years, is the day that Sam appeared on Capitol Beat and got his ass kicked by a young, leggy, blonde, Republican.

"Ainsley, you really do bring out the best in Sam. Donna and I have come to value your friendship as much as his. And we are looking forward to generations of closeness. We wish you all the joy and happiness in the world."

He turns back to the crowd. "To Sam and Ainsley!" He toasts.

"To Sam and Ainsley!" Everyone echoes.

Josh sits down with a sigh. Sam claps him on the back. "Thanks, man."

"Good job." Toby mutters.

"Are you going to eat your mashed potatoes?" I ask him.

He gives me a quick kiss and pushes the plate my way. I manage a few more bites before Brinley stands up.

She rambles for a few minutes, but I'm not really listening. The speeches will be over in a few minutes, then there will be dancing, and I can't find my shoes. I'm trying to discretely locate them with my foot so that I can slip them back on undetected, but it's not working. I lean back and stretch my leg out, then try to sweep it in a semi-circle. Toby's eyebrows go up as I make contact with his shin.

"Sorry." I mutter under my breath.

"What the hell are you doing?" He mutters back. That causes Josh's eyebrows to go up. He gives Toby a look.

"Your wife is playing footsie with me."

" _Toby!_ " I whisper in shock. How could he say that?

Josh tilts his head and smirks at me. Meanwhile Brinley just keeps yammering on. Something about Ainsley getting the doll she wanted for Christmas when they were in elementary school.

I sweep my foot in the other direction and make contact with Josh's ankle. He grins at me.

"Much better." He whispers.

Brinley finally brings her speech in for a landing and we all toast the happy couple.

"Now," Josh asks in regular volume, "what's the problem?"

"I can't find my shoes!"

"You're kidding?!"

"Josh, do I look like I'm kidding?"

"No."

"Please help me."

He grins again and then bends down to look under the table. "How the hell'd they get all the way back there?" He stands up, then squats down beside me and leans forward and fishes out my shoes. Then he tries to slip them on my feet. It's no easy task. My feet are definitely swollen.

As "What a Wonderful World" begins to play, Sam and Ainsley take the dance floor again. A few seconds later, the DJ breaks in-

"Now joining Sam and Ainsley on the Dance Floor, Best Man & Bridesmaid Josh and Donna Lyman."

Josh snickers. "That kind of made it sound like I'm both the Best man and a Bridesmaid."

A few more seconds go by. "Matron of Honor Brinley and Jeff Jackson." Then the announcer introduces "Groomsman Toby Ziegler and CJ Cregg" It was nice of CJ to fill in since Andy didn't make the trip. I give them a grin. It's good to see the two of them together. I can't wait to chat with CJ. Nine months is a long time.

The rest of the bridal party and their dates join us and we continue dancing. Just before the song ends, the DJ invites everyone to join the dancing, and he segues into another song seamlessly. Josh and I continue dancing. My feet hurt but this is too nice to stop.

"You look fantastic!" Helen whispers as she and Matt join the dance floor near us.

"You too! Nice shoes." I tease. She's got a shimmery black cocktail dress on and she's wearing her red shoes. She got a lot of press for those shoes after the State Visit from the Queen, but most of it was complimentary. Several teen magazines put her on their best dressed of the week list. My favorite headline was"First Lady Finds Fun with Flirty Footwear."

"Nice Speech, Josh." Matt compliments.

"Thank you, sir."

"Stay away from the fireplaces."

"Yes, sir."

"Oh, Josh!" President Barlet's voice breaks through the crowd as he steers Abbey our way.

"Oh shit." Josh mumbles under his breath.

"I knew it was you. You are like the son I never had . . ."

"Thank you, sir."

"Don't interrupt Josh. I was going to say you're like the son I never had the opportunity to take out to the woodshed." But he says it with a grin so we know he's just kidding.

"Yes, Sir."

"The Truman Balcony. In. my. underwear."

"Sorry about that, Sir."

"How are you, Donna?" Dr. Bartlet asks, I assume it's just small talk until I look at her and notice the concerned look on her face. It's almost like she can tell that I don't feel quite right. I've been feeling a tightening across my abdomen. It's not very pleasant, but I wouldn't call it painful either. I've pretty much been ignoring it. I don't want to freak Josh out.

"I'm fine, Ma'am."

"Donna, you agreed to call me Abbey, remember?"

"Yes, Abbey."

The song ends and the DJ announces-

"Ladies and Gentlemen, please take your seats. Mr. and Mrs. Seaborn will be cutting the cake momentarily."

I'm really glad to get the chance to sit down. The crowd "oooohs" appreciatively when the cake is rolled out to the center of the dance floor. It's 6 tiers high. Between each tier, there are fresh flowers. Dahlia, Chrysanthemums, Gerbera, and Asiatic lilies, all in fall hues: Chili Pepper, Flame Orange, Sunflower Yellow. The florist really nailed the fall theme without resorting to cliched leaves and pumpkins. The cake is incredible too, with fine icing swirls and pearls.

Sam and Ainsley step up to cut the cake. I'm curious to see how this goes. There has been a lot of banter over the decision whether to smash the cake into each others faces or feed it nicely.

They take the knife and start to cut the cake. Everyone can immediately tell there is a problem. The knife isn't sliding through the cake. Sam looks very confused. Ainsley's Mom runs up and whispers something in his ear. He gives her a strange look, then he moves the knife up a tier. It cuts through with no problem. Soon Sam and Ainsley both have a little piece of cake and they are eyeing each other. Everyone seems to be waiting with baited breath.

"I love you, cupcake." Sam finally says, holding the piece of cake near her mouth so she can take a bite on her own. She does the same, but as he takes a bite she shoves the whole piece in his mouth and smears frosting across his lips.

"Oh, you're going to pay for that!" Sam teases back but as he tried to push his piece of cake closer to her face, a large piece falls off and goes right down the inside of the front of her dress. Her hands immediately fly up to the sweetheart neckline.

" _Sam_!"

"Well, I guess we'll save that bit for later." He chuckles.

As the servers wheel the cake away, Sam and Ainsley head back toward the table.

"Donna? Would you come to the bathroom with me?"

God, yes, I thought she'd never ask. I've had to pee for almost an hour!

On the way to the bathroom I have to ask, "What was the deal with the cake?"

"Oh! No one bothered to tell us the bottom later was a Styrofoam prop! Apparently it make it less likely the cake will collapse. Who knew?"

"Well, you learn something new every day."

The bathroom is really nice. There's a lounge area with several comfortable looking chairs and a large vanity. I hold Ainsley's dress while she pees. She's waiting for me after I go.

"I'm going to sit here for a few minutes. You should probably go mingle." I say as I wash my hands.

"Are you okay?"

"I'm fine. I could just use a little rest."

Ainsley gives me a funny look, but she heads out the door. I'm still feeling kind of strange. Whenever I stop moving, I feel my stomach getting hard for a little bit then relaxing.

"What's going on in there, Lulu?" She gives me a firm kick and I can't help the little yelp. That one hurt.

"Donna?" Abbey pokes her head around the corner. "Everything okay?"

"Yes." I answer through clenched teeth. She gives me a look, then squats down next to the chair. She places one hand on my stomach and lifts her other arm to look at her watch.

"How long have you been having these contractions?"


	51. Sam & Ainsley's Wedding: The Reception part 2

I'm sitting at the Bartlet's table chatting with CJ and Danny, when Ainsley comes up and whispers something in Abbey's ear. Abbey immediately gets up and heads toward the bathroom.

"Ainsley? Where's Donna?"

She looks at me and smiles. "Bathroom. Do you know where Sam is?"

"Over there." I point to the head table where he, Toby and Will are deep in conversation.

Ten minutes go by, and I'm getting kind of nervous. Neither Donna nor Abbey have come back from the bathroom. I get up and head that way.

"Where are you going mi padre?" CJ inquires.

"Bathroom."

"Men's is over that way." She points in the opposite direction.

"I'm going to find Donna."

I walk purposefully towards the ladies room. I suppose I could have asked CJ to come with me and check it out, but oh well, I don't care.

I burst through the door and meet the started expression of a blue haired little old lady fixing her lipstick in the vanity mirror.

"Well I never!" She exclaims as she walks out in a huff. Ooops. Ainsley might get an earful about this.

"Josh! What are you doing in here?" Abbey asks me.

"Abbey? What's going on? Donna are you okay?" She's leaning back in a chair and Abbey is sitting next to her with her hand on her abdomen. She keeps glancing at her watch. I don't like the looks of this at all.

"Everything is fine." Abbey reassures me. "Donna's body is just starting to get ready."

"What does that mean?"

"She having a few contractions."

"Okay. Let's go." I take Donna's hand to help her up. We need to find Phil. I know he knows where the nearest emergency room is. This is way too early, she's not quite 34 weeks yet.

"Have a seat, Josh." Abbey says with authority. But I shake my head no. We need to leave.

"Joshua. Sit down. Donna is fine. You don't need to go to the hospital. I'm sure you heard about this in your class. These are just practice contractions. I've been monitoring them. They aren't very strong and they aren't very close together. If Donna rests for a little while longer, they'll probably go away completely."

"Braxton-Hicks?" I do remember reading about this. It's normal. But maybe we should go to the hospital just to be sure.

"Yes. If they get any stronger or closer together, then we'll reconsider. But for right now, the best thing is for you both to stay relaxed and just enjoy the party. Okay?"

I look at Donna to see what she thinks. She nods a little but her eyes are still a little big. I take her hand and give it a kiss. Then I look back at Abbey. She's a good doctor.

"Yes, ma'am."

"Good, now tell me. How are Sam's in-laws?"

"They sure do make me appreciate Donna's family!"

Abbey and Donna's laughter makes me feel a little better.

I kneel down next to the chair and stroke Donna's face. "How are you?"

"I'm okay. I just felt a little strange. Ainsley must have noticed that I was uncomfortable. I didn't ask her to go get Abbey."

"Well I'm glad she did."

"Me too! I've had Donna's pregnant belly all to myself for 15 minutes!"

This gets another small laugh from Donna. She's looking perkier. Maybe she just really needed to sit and rest for a bit. She's been pushing herself pretty hard lately. I think I'm going to need to find some ways to take the pressure off her.

"So," Abbey ask slyly, "what names are you thinking about?"

"Leonora" I answer.

"Olivia" Donna responds at the same time.

Abbey laughs again. "Well those are both very nice. I'm sure you'll work it out."

A few more minutes go by then Abbey says. "Okay Donna, I haven't felt any contractions in the last 10 minutes. Why don't we go back to the party? You can let me know if they start up again."

I stand up and help Donna to her feet. "We can go back to the room so you can lay down."

"No, I want to go to the party. I want some cake, and I want to see Ainsley toss the bouquet."

"Okay, but no more dancing, alright? You'll just sit with your feet up?"

"Yes, dear." That's her little phrase to let me know she's agreeing, but that I'm being a little bossy. I'm okay with it.

When we get back to the ballroom, I steer her towards the Bartlet's table. The President is the only one there. Everyone else is out on the dance floor in a circle. The music starts and Donna gets excited.

"It's the chicken dance!"

"No."

She pouts. If she hadn't literally just been having contractions, I would cave in and go dance the silly dance with her. But right now my heart's still beating a little fast. I really want her to take it easy the rest of the night.

" _Please_." I implore. "Have a seat. I'll go get you some cake and ginger ale."

She looks into my eyes and sees my pleading look. I just want her to be safe and Lulu to be healthy. I'm not trying to be bossy.

"Okay." She takes a seat next to President Bartlet and I smile.

"Can I get anyone else a drink?"

"No thanks, Josh." The Bartlets both smile at me.

"Now, Donnatella, tell me about your visit with the Queen." President Bartlet says as I walk a way. I'm leaving her in good hands. And I'm only leaving her for a few minutes.

When I get back with her drink and cake, the chicken dance is well underway. It involves a jaunty little tune, hand movements, arm movements that resemble flapping wings, and hip twists. Donna's doing the movements from her chair much to President Bartlet's delight.

"Donnatella, I've missed you!" He says gleefully. It takes me back a second. In spite of, or maybe because of, the rough patches, he really did regard us all as his family. He's enjoying this wedding as if Sam really were his son. And he really _is_ going to think of Lulu as a granddaughter. We really have to do a better job of keeping them involved in our lives.

"Oooh! Cake. Gimmee!" Donna squeals. I hand over her piece and she immediately takes a bite. She moans, "it's so good," her face morphing into ecstasy. I'm a little embarrassed to have the Bartlets witness this, and to be honest, it's turning me on. She takes another bite and moans again.

"For God's sake, stop moaning." I whisper harshly into her ear. She's killing me here. She opens her eyes, takes in my current state, looks at the Bartlets' amused expressions, and gets an evil glint as she scoops up another bite.

I lean back to her ear and say very softly- "one more moan, and I will make you very sorry."

Her eyes smolder. I really don't want to play this game in front of the President! I put my mouth against her ear and whisper my threat. "If you moan again, I'm not going to give you my piece of cake."

Donna suddenly sits up and finishes her piece of cake without further incident, so I push mine to her.

"Thank you, honey." She says in a sickeningly sweet tone of voice.

Abbey bursts into laughter. "Oh you two are something! I don't know how you managed to keep yourselves in check for 8 years!"

"Come on, Sweet Knees, the electric slide is starting and you know I can't resist a good line dance." President Bartlet stands up and takes Abbey's hand. "Besides, these two might spontaneously combust and my tux isn't flame resistant."

"Here." Donna offers the last bite of my cake to me on her fork.

"Hey, that's really good."

"It's a lemon-raspberry torte cake. It really is quite spectacular. Maybe you should hunt up another piece."

I love Donna and I'd do anything for her. But I'm not sure that getting her a third piece of cake is really being that supportive. I think I'll hold off a little and see if she brings it up again.

"Well, there's something you don't see every day."

Donna follows my head tilt to look at the dance floor, where two Presidents, two First Ladies and many current and former Senior Staffers are performing "the Hustle." Matt and Helen are actually really good at it, but I guess that's not surprising. Given the size of his family, they've attended a lot of weddings. Miranda and Peter are pretty good too.

Miranda is trying to help President Bartlet get the moves. It's really good to see him able to dance like this without his cane. Retirement has been good for his health.

The Photographer stands near us as she takes a picture of Sam and Ainsley with everyone behind them dancing.

"Uh oh. Should we be worried about those optics?" I say half to Donna, half to myself.

"No need to worry. I already reached out to the Photographer before the wedding and she signed a non-disclosure agreement. She won't sell any images containing either of the First families, nor will she post them on her website, nor will she distribute them in anyway, without the written consent of the White House."

"Really? How'd you get her to agree to that?"

"She was pretty excited just to be here with two Presidents. It wasn't hard. Of course there is nothing I can do about all the cell phones in the room."

I look around. Sure enough there are a few people holding up phones. I've never actually used my camera phone, but I've been burned by photos taken this way.

"Well, at least they aren't that close." They might have video of the President doing the Cupid Shuffle but it won't be a good one.

When that dance is done, the DJ announces it's time for the tossing of the bouquet and garter.

"All the single ladies out on the dance floor, please!"

Miranda tries to stay with Margaret, Ginger, Zoey on the floor. But Matt leads her over to us.

"Not you, mijita." He says.

"But Daddy! Clemmie and Maggie are out there!" Miranda says pointing at her new friends.

"Nope. This is not an appropriate activity for little girls. You'll have to stay here."

Miranda sits down next to Donna with a pout, but without further argument.

"You can have my bouquet." Donna offers her.

Miranda perks right up. "Thanks Tia Donna!"

We watch as Sam escorts Clemmie and Maggie off the dance floor too. It appears that he's got a little fatherly instinct himself. I can't help but hope that Sam and Ainsley decide to have kids right away. She'll have a year on the job, and hey, I know her boss won't mind her taking maternity leave.

The White House is well represented in the group of single women. Kate and Zoey are near the front of the pack. I know how Charlie feels, but I wonder about Will. CJ was forced out on the dance floor by Margaret and Ginger and she stands at the back reluctantly. Danny is beaming. No doubt about his feelings on the subject. I wonder whether he'd propose right here and now if she catches it. That would be exciting!

"Alright, Ladies, get ready. . . . One . . . Two . . . Three!" Ainsley tosses the bouquet high and hard and it looks to be sailing straight toward a startled CJ who throws her hands up to avoid getting beaned. Just when I think Danny is about to be a very happy man, Aberdeen jumps high into the air and snatches it. That was really quite impressive.

CJ leaves the dance floor with a sly smirk, looking rather pleased with the outcome of the events. I might need to remind Danny that he can ask her even without the flowers.

"Okay, Guys it's your turn now. Come on down."

Charlie, Danny, and Will head towards the back. Otto and Bram head towards the front. Sam leads Ainsley to a chair facing way from the crowd of guys, then kneels before her. He doesn't break eye contact with her as he slips his hands under her dress and gropes for the garter. His cheeks do turn fairly red as everyone hoots and hollers. Once again, I'm pleased that Donna and I eloped.

Once Sam finally has the garter, he stands up and takes a good look to see where everyone is standing. Then he turns his back to the crowd and flings the garter over his shoulder. It shoots straight toward Otto and it hits him in the chest. He cups his hand around it and grins.

Aberdeen takes Ainsley's spot on the chair, pulls her dress up to her thigh and sticks her leg out.

"Come here, big boy." She practically purrs at him. Otto is now blushing profusely too.

"Bring Honor to the Family!" I shout out to him.

"She's going to eat him alive." Donna mutters under her breath. "She's looking to hook a man. Poor Otto won't make it through the night."

"Have faith!" I grin, "if he can survive Lou he can survive anything."

"Fair point."

Otto manages to get the garter in place without too much harassment, then the DJ invites him and Aberdeen to join Sam and Ainsley on the dance floor in a slow dance. He holds Aberdeen close as they sway, grinning over her shoulder. I shoot him a thumbs up sign.

We're still hanging out at the Bartlet's table. I think Donna's taken over Zoey's seat, and I've just pulled up a chair and squeezed in next to her. I'm close enough that as Carolina on my Mind plays, she leans in to me and rests her head on my shoulder. I wrap my arm around her and begin to caress her head. CJ has been explaining how massive the need is for an infrastructure in Africa, and the ideas that she's got to make it happen, when she suddenly stops and smiles at me. Well, at Donna.

I look down and her eyes are closed. She always could fall asleep almost anywhere. A loud bus, a convention center, Air Force One.

"It reminds me of old times." CJ says softly.

"Hey Guys! You'll never guess what?!" Ainsley's excited voice startles Donna and she sits up and looks around in confusion. God, I love her so much. I just want to take her back to the room and tuck her into bed.

"What?" Donna asks with a small yawn.

"They're bringing out the 'late night snack.' Sam got to pick and he's kept it a secret this whole time. You'll never guess what it is?!"

I spot a server with a tray behind Ainsley, so I've got a pretty good idea. But I'll wait for her to tell us.

"Muffins! Isn't he just the cleverest man? There's Chocolate Chip, Caramel Apple, Pumpkin, Lemon Poppy Seed, Blueberry. I think they have Orange-Cranberry and Banana Nut too. We can dance all night now that we can refuel with Muffins!"

"I'd like a Muffin." Donna says with a smile. She gets up and follows Ainsley over to a long table while Ainsley continues to extol their virtues.

I'm smiling as I turn back to the table. I'm sure Donna will bring me one. I hope it's Blueberry.

"Joshua." Mrs. Bartlet says with a warning tone, and get that old feeling like maybe I've done something wrong.

"Yes, ma'am?"

"Donna can't stay down here all night. She was practically asleep on your shoulder a minute ago. You need to take her up to bed."

"Yes, ma'am." She's not going to like it, but I'll do my best. I glance at my watch. It is almost midnight. No wonder she's dead on her feet. Maybe after she has her snack, I can get one last dance with her and persuade her to accompany me back to our suite. I know she won't really want to leave before Sam and Ainsley but it sound like this party still has several hours to go.

I'm pleasantly surprised when it takes less effort than I expected to get Donna to agree that it's time for bed. I keep an arm around her in the elevator while she leans into me. I'm hoping she can make it to our suite under her own power. Phil looks like he's ready to lend a hand if necessary, while Jackie smiles sweetly at us.

Once we're back in our room, I help her out of the dress. While I hang it up, she sits in the chair and peels her stockings off. When I turn back around, she looks like she's mostly asleep. I really need to get her into bed. Then I notice the brush in her hand.

Ah. I've been looking forward to this moment all night long. "Let me, please."

I reach for the brush, then climb around behind her. She sighs softly as I start pulling pins out. I unwind the bun and undo the little braids. Then I'm finally able to run my fingers through her hair.

"Donnatella Lyman," I whisper in her ear, "No bride will ever compare to you."


	52. Baby Shower

The urge to pee wakes me up, as it often does these days. But now its light out, and I hear Josh and Mom chatting in the kitchen, so I guess it's really time to get up. After I take care of the basic needs, I join them.

"Good morning, baby." Josh rubs my belly as he kisses me. Then leans down. "Good morning, Lulu." She gives his hand a couple kicks and he grins. She really does respond to the sound of his voice.

"Scrambled Eggs?" He offers.

"Sure." I don't know why he even asks. At this point, I will literally eat anything he places before me.

"Morning, Mom." I greet Sylvia with a hug. I'm so glad she's staying here with us this weekend.

"How did you sleep, my darling?"

"Oh you know, I got up four or five times to go to the bathroom. But I can practically make it there and back without opening my eyes now." I chuckle a little.

"Well, it won't be long now."

"At least two more weeks," Josh pipes in. "38 weeks is considered full term." He grins at me- "That would be a great birthday present, you know."

"You don't like to celebrate your birthday!"

"I would if I shared it with Lulu."

"Well you'd better tell her, not me. I think she's the one calling the shots at this point."

"Oh I have. We've talked about it while you were asleep."

"Hey, it's fine with me. As soon as this baby shower's done, I'm ready to go! I know Helen's ready to get rid of me too. The Braxton-Hicks kind of freak her out."

"Her and me both." I hear Josh mumble to himself. There have been a couple incidences in the two weeks since Sam and Ainsley's wedding, but Dr. Andrews says it's a good sign. And now we've hit 36 weeks. So when they turn into real labor, it's showtime.

"When will your family be here?" Mom asks.

"They'll be here around 10. Josh is having a car pick them up from the airport and bring them here. Then we'll head over to the White House. Are you going to join us for the tour?" I wouldn't blame her if she wanted to spend as little as time as possible with my crazy family.

"Yes, I thought I would. It's been quite a while since I got a tour from Josh. I assume you're going into the office, darling?" she inquires.

"Yes, even though I'll be missing half of my senior staff." He teases as he puts a plate with scrambled eggs, toast and fruit in front of me. He turns around so he misses the look of astonishment that slides across his mother's face.

"Joshua, darling, you cook?"

"Yes, Ima. I have to take care of my family."

Sylvia beams at him, and then at me. I don't think she ever really thought he'd get to this point. Unfortunately, the sweet moment is interrupted by the door bell.

"Uncle Josh!" Carly throws her self at him.

"Hey short-stuff!" He hugs her back then measures her against his arm. "You've grown!" It _has_ been 6 months since we've seen her. It's really not surprising.

"Did you get an A on your history report?"

"Yes! Thanks for your help. The teacher said I had a very interesting perspective on the Cold War."

"Hey kiddo." He hugs Anna, too. He's so good with them. I'm just over the moon at the man he's become.

"Hey Bella, Hey, uh, Lottie." He's still uncomfortable with what to call my Mom. Sometimes he goes for Mom, but I guess with his own mom in the room, it's just a too little weird.

"Hi Mom. Hi Bella." I give them each a half hug, then make my way over to the girls.

"Donna! You're not ready yet?" Bella looks exasperated. Doesn't she remember what it's like to lug a baby around inside?

"Leave her alone, Bella. The baby shower isn't until noon." Mom says, surprising me. She usually takes Bella's side in all things.

"Hi Carly. Hi Anna." I give them both a hug too. "Everybody, this is Josh's Mom, Sylvia Lyman." I gesture to Mom. "Mom, this is everyone."

I see my Mom's eyebrows go up when I refer to Sylvia as Mom. Oh well. I'm going to go take a shower, Josh can unruffle her feathers.

When I get back to the living room, Anna is describing her homecoming dress, in great detail, to Josh. He's nodding but his eyes are glazing over. They light up when he sees me.

"Ready to go?"

Josh and his Mom, and Anna, get into the town car. While I join my Mom, Bella and Carly in the SUV. I have to admit to myself that I completely enjoy the look of awe on my Mother and Bella's faces when we pulled up to the portico.

Carly looks a little disappointed in her generic visitor's pass. I bet Anna showed her the custom ones. Unfortunately, since it's the weekend, I'm not going to be able to get one for her. Maybe she can stay with us next summer.

I head towards the bull pen to start the tour, showing them the White House briefing room, my old cubicle, and Josh's old office. It always made me a little sad that my parents never took me up on an offer to give them a tour during the Bartlet Administration, but at least my Mom is here now.

From there we head towards Josh's office. I point out the Roosevelt Room on the way. When we get to Josh's office, I introduce everyone to Margaret.

"Anyone in there?"

"Just Josh, Sam and POTUS. He said just come in when you get here."

"POTUS?" My Mom echoes, looking confused.

"President of the United States, dear." Sylvia answers with a little smirk that looks exactly like Josh's.

"The President is in there?" My Mom stammers out.

"Yes." I answer matter of factly.

"Come on Grandma, he's really nice." Anna encourages her. "But if the President stands up, you should stand up. Don't sit down until he asks you to."

I tap lightly on Josh's door as I open it, hoping everyone will follow me. At least I know that with Sylvia bringing up the rear, we should be okay.

"Donna! My favorite Chief of Staff!" Matt greets me with a hug as Josh rolls his eyes. Matt is wearing jeans and an old Air Force Academy hoodie. I guess he's not working today. Sam is also even more casual than usual.

"Anna! It's good to see you." Bella looks surprised that the President knows her daughter. I'm confused, surely Bella told her about her visit.

"And I see you brought a new junior staffer with you today. What's your name young lady?"

"I'm Carly Moss, sir." Carly answers bravely. I'm very proud of her.

"Do you like school Carly?"

"Yes."

"Do you think that it would be a good idea to extend the school year, so that you have more time to learn?"

"NO! I really like summer vacation."

My Mother, Bella and Anna look embarrassed, but Matt just laughs. "Well thank you for being honest with me Carly."

"Mrs. Lyman, so good to see you again, I'm sorry I didn't see you when you were here for Passover."

"Good to see you again too, Mr. President. Is Josh behaving himself?" Josh blushes and rolls his eyes again.

"Yes, now that he's got Donna to keep him in line, we really aren't having any more problems."

I look between the three of them sensing a story. But Josh shoots me a pleading look so I decide not to ask. Right now, that is.

"Mr. President, I'd like to introduce my Mother, Carlotta Moss, and my sister Isabella Anderson. Bella is Anna's mother."

"Ladies, it's so nice to meet you. Donna is such a treasure. I'm sure you are very proud of all she's done for our country."

Mom and Bella look a little taken back. But then look at me and nod.

"I'm going to show them the oval, then we're going to go over to the Residence."

"Of course, Donna, you know your way around." Matt gestures toward the door.

Josh stands up and gives me a kiss on the cheek before I go. His Mom pats his cheek as she goes by, and he stops her and gives her a kiss as well.

As soon as we are all through the door into the Oval Office, Anna announces. "Uncle Josh has walk in privileges. That means he can come in here anytime he wants, he doesn't have to wait to be announced. And he's in almost every meeting that happens here. Uncle Josh is REALLY important, but wait until you see Aunt Donna's office!"

My Mom and Bella appear to be overwhelmed to be standing in the Oval Office. Carly is looking around at everything. She stops at Matt's desk and stares at the photos. "That's Peter and Miranda Santos." She says in awe. "I'm going to get to meet them."

Next, I give them a quick tour of the First Lady's offices. Bella deems my office "nice." I probably should have showed them BEFORE taking them to the Oval.

On our way to the Residence, Anna gives Carly all the details. "There's a movie theatre and a bowling alley and an outdoor swimming pool, too!" But Carly isn't really interested in seeing anything but Peter Santos. I think she might have a little celebrity crush.

I'm really glad we've arrived at the Residence a little bit early.

"Tia Donna!" Miranda squeals as soon as we reach the second floor, running up and hugging. "Hello, Lulu!" She says to my belly.

Carly watches her with a mixture of awe and annoyance. I'd better introduce them right away. I'm hoping they become fast friends.

"Carly, this is Miranda Santos. Miranda, this is my niece Carly."

"I'm 6 now!" Miranda announces.

"I'm 11." Carly responds.

"Peter is 11 too! Should we go find him?" Miranda suggests. And instantly, she's made friends with Carly.

"Can we?" She looks at me with pleading eyes.

"Sure, go ahead. I'm going to finish the tour for everyone else."

"Do you want to come Anna?" Miranda asks.

"Sure, squirt. I've already had the tour."

As we head down the Hall, Helen comes out of the Yellow Room.

"Oh Donna! I'm glad you're here. We're almost ready. 10 more minutes!"

"Helen, I'd like to introduce my Mother, Lottie Moss and my sister Bella Anderson. Of course, you already know Josh's Mom."

"Oh yes, Mrs. Lyman, the miracle worker. How nice to see you again." Okay, clearly there _is_ a story here, I raise my brow at Mom. I'll be patient but someone's going to have to spill before the night is over.

"Mrs. Moss, Mrs. Anderson. It's very nice to meet you. May I call you Lottie and Bella?"

"Yes, Ma'am, of course." My mother quickly responds.

"Oh please, call me Helen! I've finally got Donna to do it when we are in the Residence and I don't want to lose any ground."

"I'm going to show them the third floor. We'll be back in a few minutes."

"Okay, like I said, we should be ready in about 10 minutes. You know your way around."

I take Mom and Bella up the stairs to the third floor. I'm definitely getting my exercise today. Dr. Andrews will be very happy. I show them the solarium and green room, as well as the game room, workout room and music room. I point out the Nannies' bedrooms, and then I show them the COS bedroom.

"So you and Josh have a bedroom, here, at the White House?" Bella asks me in somewhat of a daze.

"Yes."

"Why?"

"Well there are times when the Chief of Staff has to advise the President on a developing situation throughout the night. It's much more convenient to be able to get a little bit of sleep here. We keep clothes here instead of wasting time going home on days like that." I show her the closet with Josh's spare suit, and my dress.

"You've stayed here?" My Mom still doesn't seem to get it.

"Yes, several times. Although, the night of the Inauguration we stayed in the Lincoln Bedroom."

"I thought you were kidding about that!"

"No. I wasn't."

The way they are acting so surprised by everything. I'm starting to wonder if they thought that I've been lying about working in the White House. I would have thought that having my picture in the paper, and the secret service agents at Easter would have already cleared this up. I guess they needed to see it to believe it.

We are on our way back downstairs when Miranda come bounding up them.

"Oh good! Mommy said to find you and tell you we're ready when you are."

"Okay sweetie. Please tell her we are on the way."

"Oh!" I'm stunned. The Yellow Room has been turned into a story book. Literally. Helen refused to let me do any work on the shower, so this is a complete surprise. It's delightful. There are framed prints from "If You Give Mouse A Cookie" on each table. And of course, each place has some adorable mouse shaped cookies.

Abbey and Zoey Bartlet are here, along with all the "White House" ladies: Margaret, Ginger, Annabeth, Karen, Angela, Lou, Edie, Ainsley. Even Amy is here. I'm glad to see Andy too. Everyone claps as I walk into the room.

Helen stands and everyone stands up quiets down. "Oh sit down, everyone!" she laughs. "Thank you all for coming. I know we are all anxiously waiting for little miss Lyman to make her debut. But hopefully not for 4 more weeks, since I have November 7 on the baby pool." Everyone laughs at that.

"I'm sure Donna's ready to eat, and the food is ready. So, brunch is served." She's right, I am ready to eat. The only problem is all this food looks really good, and lately I've discovered I don't have much room. I'll just eat a little bit, then be hungry again in an hour.

After I've eaten, I move over to the other table, and spend some time chatting with the staff. It's so nice to just sit around and relax together.

"Donna, I've got tomorrow in the pool. Any chance of that?" Andy teases me.

"I don't know. I haven't had any contractions today. I'd say it's not looking too promising."

After a few more minutes, I go back to the table with Abbey and Zoey, Helen and my family. As I sit down, I realize the conversation is whether or not I should go back to work after the baby is born. Seriously? Who do they think they are?

"Sylvia, you didn't work while Josh was growing up, did you?" My Mother throws out.

"I was very active in politics and I served on the boards of several non-profits."

"But you didn't dump Josh in daycare, right? You were home."

"Enough, Mother." I grit out between my teeth. Why doesn't she understand that I need to work, that Lulu will be better off if I feel like I have a purpose and I'm accomplishing something?

"Josh and Donna aren't dumping the baby in daycare. I'm going to watch the baby!" Helen blurts out.

"Josh and I are still discussing that, Ma'am. You know how he feels about the optics."

"Well, I'm not taking no for an answer, Donna. So tell Josh to get on board."

"Yes, Ma'am." Josh and I have talked about it. We are going to hire a Nanny. But when I come back to work, if Helen is serious about this, then we will have the Nanny and Lulu come to work and they can spend their days on the third floor. And if Helen wants to spend time with Lulu, that's fine too.

"Anyway." Helen goes on, "Every mother is different. Some are like Abbey Bartlet here. And some are like me. I think our kids are turning out just fine. The main thing isn't whether or not a Mom works outside of the home. It's whether she loves her children, and whether she's true to herself. Children, especially daughters, need to see that both having a career and home-making are worthwhile pursuits."

"Hear, hear." Abbey says, raising her glass in salute.

"Hear, hear." I echo.


	53. Operation Nursery Surprise

As soon as Donna and the rest are out of the Oval Office, I spring into action.

"Okay, let's go. Operation Nursery Surprise starts now."

"Of course, you had to give this a goofy name." Sam grins at me. He knows me well.

"Of course. Did you get the paint?"

"Yes. But please tell me that Donna at least helped you pick out the color. This isn't a complete surprise, is it?"

"She helped. We looked through some magazines, and this color was her favorite. A couple months ago she was leaning toward Sage Green with pink accents, but when she saw this picture, she fell in love." I take the folded up magazine page out of my wallet and hand it to Sam. "She says this looks very soothing."

Sam hands the page to Matt as we get into the Motorcade. I'm probably not Ron's favorite person right now, but when Matt over heard Sam and I talking about painting the nursery while the girls were at the baby shower, he insisted he wanted to help too. Sometimes he just needs to be a regular guy for a few hours.

"This is nice." Matt smiles. "Only you and Donna would chuck tradition and paint your baby girl's room blue."

"It's Ice Blue. And who cares? I really like this." In the picture, the walls are all ice blue with white trim. There are soft yellow curtains on the windows, a fluffy rug on the floor, and an oversize yellow chair in the corner.

"So how much are we trying to accomplish today?" Sam's practicality always shows.

"Just painting. Maybe hanging the curtains. The furniture is on order. And we still need to pick out some art work."

"Oh, I think Helen has you covered on that. She decorated the shower with framed prints of the illustrations from a children's book that Donna said she liked."

When we get to the Brownstone, I'm surprised to find Bram waiting for us in my living room.

"What are you doing here? And how did you get in?"

Matt laughs at that. "My agents took care of it." Well that answers the second question. I look to Bram for an answer to the first, but it's Sam who jumps in.

"He's the one who brought the paint and all the supplies over here. You asked me if I'd got them. Didn't you wonder where they were?"

"I just assumed they were in the trunk of the limo."

Finally Bram speaks up. "I worked my way through undergrad as a student painter. Sam thought maybe the two of you could use a little help."

It's just a small room. How hard could it be? But hey, I'll take all the help I can get. It will probably mean we'll get to the beer and pizza faster.

"Well, thanks man."

"Okay, show me the room."

"Right this way." The three of them follow me down the hall to the guest room.

"Is this bed staying in here?"

"Um, yes, for now. My Mom is staying with us this weekend. But we could move it into the den, if that's better."

"Well she might prefer not to sleep in the room with the fresh paint smell."

"Good point. Let's move it."

Once we get the bed into the den. We spread drop clothes over the hardwood floors, then move the dresser to the middle of the room. Then finally, Bram says we are actually ready to paint.

He hands each of us a roller, and pours paint into a flat tray. "Okay, here's what you want to do, up and down, long smooth motions, keep enough paint on your roller so that it covers evenly, but no so much that it drips. I'm going to trim out the doors and window while you all start on the walls."

Well, thank god I appointed Sam to get the paint, and thank god he enlisted Bram to help us! Why didn't I just hire a handyman to do this? Oh yeah, I wanted to surprise my wife by doing something manly around the house.

With four of us working, we manage to get the first coat done in just under an hour. I'm so glad I didn't try to do this alone! We are almost done with the pizza break when I glance at my watch.

"Yikes! It's 1:30. I'm supposed to make an appearance at this baby shower. How much longer do we need to wait before putting the second coat on?"

"Why don't you two head back to the Residence? Sam and I can finish the second coat and clean up."

"Yeah, that works. Can you tell Ainsley to pick me up here when they are done?"

"Sure thing. Thanks Guys, I really appreciate this."

On the ride back to the White House, Matt grins at me. "Thanks, Josh that was fun."

"Um, okay. Anytime." I'm not much for manual labor myself, but hey, if that's what rocks his boat. I've got no complaints.

Once we arrive on the second floor, there is no doubt about which room the party is in. There is lots of laughter spilling out.

As I walk into the room, I see Ainsley wrapping a piece of toilet paper around Donna's middle. I turn to Matt, "What the hell is she doing?"

Matt laughs. "Oh! I know this game. Everyone had to tear off the amount of toilet paper they think will fit around Donna's belly."

"Why toilet paper?"

"Well, now, that I don't know!"

We watch for a few more minutes, and I'm shocked when Amy ends up winning the game. Helen informs her that she can take the flower pot from the middle of the table home with her.

Helen spots us at the door. "Oh good! Josh is here. You guys can open the gifts now." My Mom beams at me from a table with Mrs. Bartlet and Zoey and Donna's family. To be honest, I was a little surprised that my Mom came to the shower, but since Donna had asked there was no way she'd miss it. Even though we don't usually do these, I'm glad she's here.

I make my way to the front of the room, where there are two chairs. A regular banquet chair, and a glider. The glider has a tag on it. Donna turns it over.

 ** _For our favorite Chiefs of Staff- Something for you to keep in the Residence Bedroom for when you need a quiet place to go with your new boss_**.

"Oh my goodness! Donna exclaims. Thank you so much." She gives Helen a big hug.

"It's from me too!" Miranda calls out.

"Thank you, Miranda! Come here and give me a hug."

After Miranda hugs both of us, she goes over the the table piled with gifts and brings one back to Donna.

The tag just says "from Margaret." Donna opens the box and pulls out large, yellow wooden letters. Two, cursive capital "L"s and two lower case "u"s.

"For the wall in her nursery." Margaret says. Donna must have shown her the picture too. She definitely wanted the name on the wall. I hope she's really okay with Lulu, because it seems it's here to stay.

"Thanks, Margaret! This is perfect!"

Miranda brings Donna another gift and she reads the card. "This is from Mallory, she wishes she could be here."

She hands me the card. There is a lot more in there than what Donna read.

**_Josh and Donna-_ **

**_I'm so excited for you two to begin this journey called parenthood. I'll tell you it's not easy, but it's so worth it when you see your child learn new things, and make new friends, and enjoy the world. It gives hope for the future. And the love! You aren't even going to believe the love. I know that the two of you are going to be amazing parents because you already have so much love for each other and such a strong desire to make this world a better place. Your baby is blessed to have parents like you. I'm sorry I'm still not ready to spend much time in the White House, especially so close to the Anniversary, but let's get together between Christmas and New Year's so I can meet your little angel. And then we'll need to take the kids to a Mets game in the spring._ **

**_Much love,_ **

**_Mal_ **

Oh, that's really sweet. I'm not sure what I'm supposed to do with the card so I tuck it under my leg. Donna has the paper off, and the box open now, and she pulls out a fluffy sheep. The tag says it's a "Sleep Sheep" Mother's best friend, makes relaxing white noises including whale songs, to help baby to get to sleep.

Donna laughs. "This is awesome. If Lulu takes after Josh, I'll need all the help I can get to get her to power down and go to sleep at night!"

"And if she takes after Donna we won't need it at all, because she can sleep anywhere, anytime!"

Donna gives me a bit of an evil eye and everyone laughs. I kiss her cheek. "I'm not saying that's a bad thing, baby! I hope she takes after you!"

Miranda is anxiously waiting to hand us the next package. It's a Rubber Giraffe teether from Ginger.

"My sister said those are really amazing!" She calls out.

"Thanks!" Donna responds. I set the bag near my feet and slide the card back into it.

Next is a plastic bath tub filled with baby shampoo, wash cloths and hooded towels. It's from Annabeth, Angela, Lou and Edie.

"Thanks guys. This stuff will definitely come in handy."

Zoey and Charlie give Lulu a whole "Georgetown University Baby" outfit, complete with sweats, a onesie, hoodie and little hat. That reminds me. I haven't asked Zoey if her parents found out her living arrangements yet. Oh! And I need to send that shirt back with Lottie for Jim.

"Go Hoyas!" Donna shouts as a thanks.

"Go Hoyas!" Zoey responds.

The next present is from Bella & Anna, Becky & Carly. It's a big box of colorful clothes with matching bibs and blankets. It looks like you can make several different outfits. That's kind of handy.

The next package has two identically wrapped boxes tied together. Donna pulls off the card and reads it, putting her hand to her mouth. "This is from the Bartlets." She manages to rasp out. Then she hands me the card. Once again I read it to myself while she's opening the boxes.

.

**_Dear Lulu-_ **

**_You were meant to be. So many people waited for your parents to figure out what was staring them in the face, but all that time was worth it so that you'd be you, coming at the perfect time in history. We can't wait to see how you'll change the world. And just remember if your parents are being jackasses, you can always come stay with Grandpa Jed and Grandma Abbey._ **

The first box is labeled "Super Nerdy ABC Wooden Blocks." These have to be from Grandpa Jed. The blocks all have science information on them. Like G is for Galaxy on one side. And the definition on another. And cute pictures. They are really neat.

The second box is a complete baby first aid kit and a "What to Do if" first aid book. Well, that must be from Grandma Abbey.

"Thank you!" I tell her sincerely. We already have a first aid kit but I'll feel much better having one with baby size stuff and a book!

Amy gives us a package of swaddling blankets and a book on how to make balloon animals. Well, okay. Karen gives us a very soft, hand knit blanket in the perfect color of butter yellow.

The gift bag from Andy & Toby contains a set of "Baby Lit" Board Books. Pride and Prejudice counting- 5 Bennett Sisters. Too funny.

Sam and Ainsley give us a box filled with funny onesies- Donna reads them off-

"got milk?"

Not yet, but I am really looking forward to watching her nurse.

"all Mommy wanted was a backrub"

Well that is so not true, but I'm smart enough to keep the comment to myself.

"18 years until my first tattoo"

Um, no.

"You can do this, Daddy".

That one's got directions for which body part goes through which hole, and garners lots of laugh from the ladies. I pick it up and study it carefully, causing even more laughter.

"Oh! This is my favorite!" Donna says holding up "Future Democrat" with a little picture of a donkey.

"Sam picked that one out!" Ainsley hollers.

"Thank you! These are really cute."

The last gift is from Donna's Mom. It's another knit blanket in a soft pink.

Donna rubs it on her cheek, then smiles and hands it to me.

"Thanks, Mom. And thank you, everyone! We really appreciate all of the gifts, your thoughtfulness, and generosity. We feel so very blessed to have this great family. We know you are all going to be a very special part of our baby's life."

"There's still lots of food! Get some dessert!" Helen announces.

"Wow, this is was really great. We have some really good friends." I give Donna a hug.

"We sure do. But what are we going to do with all this stuff? You don't want to take it home do you?" She asks.

I'm honestly torn. I can't wait to see all the cute clothes in Lulu's closet, and the toys and books on the shelves. We are already winking and nodding at the old Jewish traditions by painting the room, but putting up Lulu's name would really be over the top. My Mom already ordered the oversized rocking chair for the room but it's not going to be delivered until after the baby arrives. And we won't set up the crib until then either. Finally, I decide.

"I'd rather not. I know I don't fully practice, but I think it means a lot to my Mom for us to keep some traditions. Can we just keep this stuff in your office until after Lulu get's here?"

"Absolutely. Maybe you can grab Matt and Peter and ask them to help you carry it down there?"

On the way home, Carly prattles on and on about how great Peter is. He's got an amazing room, and he's so smart, and he's so nice. I'm starting to get a little worried. She's 11! Isn't she kind of young to have a crush on a boy? And I wonder how Peter feels about this. I'm kind of conflicted here. I'm protective of both these kids, who's side am I supposed to be on? Good thing she's only here one more day. Maybe I won't have to figure it out right now.

When we get back to the Brownstone, Sam's still there, sitting on the couch drinking a beer watching a college football game.

"Sam! What are you doing here?" Donna exclaims, giving him a hug.

"I wanted to say Hi to Mrs. L." He makes for my Mom as soon as Donna let's go.

"You saw her earlier." Donna replies, narrowing her eyes at him. "What's going on?"

Sam gulps. There is no way he'll be able to keep this secret.

"Sam helped me with a little surprise. Come with me!" I put my hand on her back and lead her towards the guest room while everyone follows behind. I open the door, turn on the light and guide Donna into the room.

"Oh Josh! It's perfect! Thank you!" Donna grabs me in a hug and plants a dozen little kisses all over my face. I gotta say. I'm liking this reaction.

She turns to Sam. "Thanks for helping, Sam!"

"Bram and Matt helped too."

They really did do a great job. The paint looks really nice, and they even hung the yellow curtains up.

"Very nice, darling." Mom says patting my cheek.

"It's blue!" Donna's Mom exclaims. "I thought you were doing sage green, with pink accents?"

"I changed my mind. I like this color scheme a lot better. Mom bought us a big stuffed rocker. It's yellow, it will go in that corner. Then the crib over there and then a cube shelf under the window and a changing table over there." Donna point around the room while her Mom nods.

"Well. That does sound nice. I'm sure Leonora is going to love this nursery. Let's hang up her name and the prints right now!"

"Mom! I told you we haven't made a final decision on the name yet! And we aren't going to decorate the nursery until after she arrives! I've explained this before!" Uh oh, Donna's just reached her limit.

"Well, you know, tradition is fine and all, but what about our traditions? Why does everything have to be done the way Josh's family wants it?" She spits back at Donna.

My Mom turns a little pale, and I take her arm and gently guide her from the room. We can still hear Donna and her Mom pretty clearly though.

"Mother. This is your eighth grandchild! It's her first. We don't have ANY family traditions regarding decorating the nursery. We only do it in advance because it's convenient. And as far as traditions go, I'll have you know that Josh is a big fan of Leonora, which was YOUR suggestion because YOU like the tradition of giving girls Italian names. But the way you are acting right now, I don't want to do anything to carry on your traditions."


	54. Mothers and Daughters

I'm glad Josh took Mom out of the room and everyone else followed. I'm so mad at my mother I could spit. How dare she say something like that! And in front of Mom. I glare at her. Her eyes are blazing back at me.

"You've completely shut me out of your life, Donnatella. You never call. You didn't even tell me that you changed the nursery theme. I wouldn't have made a pink blanket!"

This is about the blanket? I love the pink blanket.

"I'm sorry I forgot to tell you that I changed my mind from pink & sage, Mom. But I still love the blanket. A girl needs a little pink in her life! And she'll keep it forever because it'll be her special blanket from Grandma Moss. And you know, the phone goes both ways. You could call me sometime."

"Well, since Sylvia's getting a rocking chair, we can buy the stroller. You didn't get one."

"Mom, you don't have to do that."

"No, we want to. Do you have one picked out? We can go online and order it right now."

"Mom, it's too much. You don't need to do this."

"Donna, just show me. Please."

Alright, I really need to sit down anyway. And I don't really want to fight with her. "My laptop's in our bedroom."

I march back through the living room without saying anything. Josh raises his eyebrows but I shake my head, and he shoots me a slow wink. I'm glad he's staying out of this. Mom follows behind me.

"This is your room?"

"Didn't Josh show you the apartment earlier?"

"Well, yeah, but not your room because you were taking a shower."

Oh. Of course. "Well, this is our room," I throw my arm out in a circle. "Josh has had this furntiture for a while, but he bought me this dresser after we got married. And I replaced the sheets and towels, and added these little throw pillows. We have an en suite through here."

I open the door and she pokes her head in. I hope she doesn't think its too dirty. The maid cleaned yesterday, and I did hang my towel up and wiped the sink down this morning.

"This is really nice, sweetie. I'm glad you've added your own touches. Now, can you show me the stroller?"

Damn. I kind of hoped she'd forget. But I sit in the chair and pull up the website. As I'm doing it, Mom pulls the footstool over and sits next to me. When I'm at the right spot, I turn the computer so she can see it.

"Donna! That's a $500 stroller! Why would you pick something this expensive? Were you hoping that the President would buy it for you or something?"

"No Mom. We plan on buying it ourselves."

"That's a waste of money. You should be saving for a house, so you can get out of this Brownstone."

"We can afford a house when we're ready. We like this Brownstone. Money isn't the issue."

"It isn't?"

"No." I say softly. We haven't ever really talked about our finances with my parents and I'm hesitant to start now. "Josh actually owns this whole building, Mom."

"Then why do you insist on working?"

"Mom, I'm not going to fight with you about this. My working isn't about the money. It's about making this world a better place. For my children. For my nieces and nephews. For you. For everyone. I know you really don't understand that what I do is important, but it is. And my decision to work is between me and Josh. NOT between me and you."

Oh. Sometimes she just makes me so mad. My head is pounding and my back kind of hurts. I need a break.

"Listen, Mom. I don't want to fight with you. I know there are a lot of things we don't see eye to eye about but you ARE my Mother and I do love you. You don't need to buy a stroller just because Sylvia is buying a chair. This isn't a competition. But if you really want to, you can take my laptop to the living room and Josh will help you. But I need to lay down for a little while, okay? Then we'll take you out sight-seeing and have a nice dinner."

"Okay." My Mom says softly as I haul myself out of the chair, and set the laptop down. I head to the bathroom to splash some water on my face. I hope she'll leave the room before I get done.

Sure enough, she's gone when I come back out. But Josh is sitting in the chair waiting for me. I join him, sitting on his lap. He only "oofs" a little, so I only smack him lightly on the arm before I rest my head on his shoulder.

He immediately starts stroking my head, then asks, "Are you okay?"

"Yes. I'm sorry my Mom wasn't very nice. Is your Mom okay?"

"Yes, she's got thick skin. Plus Carly and Anna are out there entertaining her with all sorts of stories."

"Well, that's good. What's Bella doing?"

"Ainsley is showing her wedding pictures. Bella is totally into it."

"Sam and Ainsley are here? I should come back out there."

"Your Mom said you were going to take nap. If you want to lay down for a while, you should. You don't have to play hostess. Sam and Ainsley will understand. I'm sure they are going to head home soon anyway. I could leave Mom here with you, and take your family over to the hotel and get them settled, then we can come back for you. I made dinner reservations at Old Ebbitt's. After dinner, we can take them to see a few of the monuments."

"Okay. That sounds like a good plan." I get up and head toward the bed. I really could use just a few minutes rest.

Josh tucks me in, kisses my forehead and leaves the room.

When I open my eyes again, I'm not sure whether they are all leaving or all arriving, but there are a lot of voices. Well, even if I only have been a sleep a few minutes, I need to pee. When I roll over I spot the clock. Oh. It's almost 6. Guess I slept for more than a few minutes.

When I come out of the bathroom, Josh is waiting again. "Morning, Sunshine! Did you have a good nap?"

"Yes." I answer, giving him a kiss.

"Ready for dinner?"

"Yes, but let me change. Sleeping in this dress didn't do it any favors."

He watches while I slip out of it and into some black pants and a blouse. He never misses an opportunity to watch me get even a little undressed. When I'm done, he gives me an unabashed grin. He's also not a bit apologetic for watching me. It's actually very flattering.

"Okay. I'm ready." I tell him taking his arm.

We manage to get all of us into the cars without much fuss. This time I end up with Bella and the girls, while Josh takes both Moms in the town car. I think that was intentional.

"After dinner, we'll go to the National Mall. The view from the top of the Washington Monument is really spectacular," I tell Carly and Bella, "isn't it Anna?"

"It's pretty cool." She confirms. Bella doesn't look that convinced. I don't think she really cares whether or not she sees the monuments. She's never really shown any interest in government, politics or history.

"Carly, is there any place that you want to go tomorrow?"

"Are we going to see the big statute of Abraham Lincoln on the chair?"

"Yes, that's the Lincoln Memorial. We'll go se that tonight. It looks really great all lit up."

I look at Bella. "Have you guys talk about a museum to visit tomorrow? You could fit in part of one of the Smithsonians before your flight back home."

"Anna really wanted to do the Newseum this summer. I thought maybe we'd go do that. I know you and Josh don't want to go, but you've probably already been to everything else too. We can just go on our own."

A shiver runs down my spine and I shutter a little. Out of the corner of my eye, I notice that Anna looks embarrassed that her Mom brought it up. I take a deep breath and evaluate how I'm feeling. I'm a little disappointed, and a little relieved. I mean, they aren't here very long so it's kind of a shame not to spend more time together. On the other hand, Mom is on my last nerve, and I have homework I should really get done this weekend anyway.

"That's fine. We can explain how to use the subway, or you can get a cab. If you have enough time when you're done, we could meet for a late lunch or early dinner before your flight."

We pull into the alley of Old Ebbitt's and Bella looks confused.

"The secret service likes to take us in through the back."

The manager greets us by name. This is one of our favorite places to eat. We are fairly regulars now. "Cheese Sampler to start, Donna?"

"Yes, please!"

When we get to the Cabinet room, we see the Speaker of the House with his detail. He and Josh nod at each other. I cross my fingers that neither of them will bring up lobbying reform. I give Josh a look and he grins at me and steers me to my seat.

A few minutes later, the waitress brings our cheese tray and the menus. I don't need any time to look it over. Today I want a French Dip and French Fries! I see Mom and Bella's eyes get a little wide for a minute. This _is_ a step above the type of place where they'd normally eat. Should I tell them that Josh is getting the bill?

Sylvia orders first, she gets a crab cake. Always a good choice. Anna orders a Mixed Green Salad with chicken. Carly orders chicken tenders and fries, which gets a grin from Josh, sometimes he orders that too. Mom is a little hesitant.

"I don't know, maybe I'll just get a salad."

"Please, get whatever you'd like, Mom." Josh encourages her. "It's not every day that I get to take 6 beautiful women out to dinner. This is my treat."

My Mom looks really please that Josh called her Mom. Maybe that evened the score a little in her mind.

"I'll get the Frutti de Mare." Carte blanche and she still picks pasta.

Bella looks up at the waitress. "I'll have the New York Strip. Medium please."

Bella's choice makes me cringe a little. She's never one to miss an opportunity. I don't really care about the price tag. It's just that I know she's not going to eat a 14 ounce steak. Maybe I'll have the leftovers tomorrow.

Josh is the last to order. He gets one of his standards, Steak Frites, well done.

The food is really good, as always. I probably ate too much. By the time we get to the National Mall, I feel like I'm waddling.

"I'm just going to sit here for a bit." I tell Josh making my way toward a bench facing the Memorial. "You go ahead."

Josh looks skeptical for a minute. So I give a little head nod toward Jackie, who is standing next to me. "I'll be fine."

"I'll say with Donna." His Mom tells him, and that seems to satisfy him. I can't help but chuckle. His Mom isn't going to keep me any safer than Jackie would!

Once Josh, My Mom, Bella, Anna and Carly head up the stairs, I realize it's a golden opportunity to ask Mom why Matt and Helen love her so much.

"So, Mom, what did you do on the campaign trail to make Helen Santos call you a miracle worker?"

"Oh, it was really nothing. You know, Joshua being Joshua."

"Come on, Mom, you've got to give me more than that."

"Well, apparently, he was being a tyrant. He lathered himself up into a tizzy, and he wasn't sleeping, and they were burning the candles at both ends. This was just after the nomination, so Leo was a little concerned. There was still a lot of campaign to go. He called me to make sure I was going to be at the Miami rally. He said he'd arrange for a car and driver, but that the Democratic Party needed me."

We both smile fondly at the memory of Leo.

"So I get there, and sure enough, Josh is spouting orders at everyone, going 100 miles an hour, and looking like a total zombie. So I grab him by the ear, just like I taught you, and I haul him back onto the bus. I make him sit down and lean against me. Then I started rubbing his head. He's out in 10 minutes. Once the rally was over, I made everyone sit on the bus with their eyes closed until we got to the airport."

I can totally picture all the staffers having a time out. I wish we'd had her on the bus as the campaign was winding down.

"President Santos offered to take Leo off the ticket and make me Vice-President if I'd join the campaign permanently. But I have my life in West Palm Beach, so I reminded Leo that I wasn't the only one who knew how to handle Joshua Lyman." She pats my hand.

"Are you saying that you suggested that Leo hire me to keep Josh in line?"

"Not at all, dear. I've been an active member of the Democratic party all my life. I simply reminded Leo that it was time for all hands on deck, and why were they leaving a valuable political operative on the sidelines just because my Son is pig-headed?"

"Thanks, Mom." I place a small kiss on her cheek.

"Of course, I did hope that just knowing you were on the same side again would bring Joshua around, and it did. I'm really glad it didn't take the two of you as long to sort things out this time."

"You're a good Mom. This is nice. It's just so easy to be with you. I don't feel so pressured. You just seem to understand me."

"You know, darling, sometimes being a Mother is hard. You feel so many things, and you don't know exactly what to say. But all you can do is try, and hope that your daughter forgives you for your mistakes. You know your Mom loves you right? Even when she doesn't do a good job of showing it."

"Yeah, but you agree she's not doing a good job right now, don't you?"

"Yes, darling, but she's still your Mother."

Speaking of Mothers, here comes mine now, along with the gang. Bella and Anna appear to be bickering over something, probably nothing important. Josh and Carly are walking behind them snickering.

From there we all head over to the Washington Monument. It's still a great view. It's always helped me see the big picture.

Still, I'm glad once we are back at home. Tomorrow we can sleep in a bit, get some work done, and then have an early dinner and say goodbye to my crazy family. Mom kisses us goodnight, and we head into our room.

Once Josh and I are in bed, he pulls me into his arms. Ah. My happy place.

"Hey, how ya doin'? Kind of a crazy day."

"Yeah, but this makes it better. I'm so glad we put my family at a hotel. My Mom is giving me a nutty."

"Yeah, I heard. . . . So, do you want to cross Leonora off the list, and just name her Olivia?"

"What?!"

Where is this coming from? He loves the name Leonora. I hear him whispering it to her in the mornings when he thinks I'm still asleep.

"You're the one doing all the work here. You suffered through all the morning sickness, and the swollen ankles, and the heartburn. You should get to pick her name. I wouldn't want you to use Leonora, just to make me, or your Mom, happy. Olivia is nice. I can live with it. Although, I probably will still call her Lulu a lot of the time. I'm pretty used to it now."

He really is the sweetest man. People have no idea. The truth is, I don't hate Leonora any more. I mean I wouldn't call her that very often, but ever since Memorial Day, the idea of naming her after Leo has really taken hold. In fact, I've been thinking that Leo isn't really that bad for a little girl.

Josh is still looking at me with so much love my heart feels like it's going to explode.

"I don't want to cross Leonora off the list. It's growing on me. Let's stick with the plan and wait until we meet her to decide. Okay?"

"Okay."


	55. What kind of day has it been?

"Donna, baby, time to wake up."

I lean down and kiss her forehead, and stroke her face with my fingertips. I really hope this is the last day I have to wake her up for a while. Her due date is either Monday or Wednesday depending on which little chart the Doctor uses. So Lulu could be here anytime. Then she'll probably take over the job of waking Mommy up for while.

Helen wants Donna to start maternity leave on Monday whether or not Lulu is here, but Donna says she's going to keep working as long as possible. I can sort of understand why Helen wants her to stay home. She just looks ready to burst any time. And everyone seems to hold their breath, every time they are around Donna. She's getting kind of fed up with the looks. Sometimes she's a little snappy about it, but everyone is pretty understanding. I'm torn on the idea. I don't love the idea of leaving her home while I go into work, but I like the idea of Donna taking it easy. And I guess I'm going to have to get used to going in on my own anyway. Maybe if she hasn't had the baby, she can just spent the whole day on the sofa in my office so I can keep an eye on her.

Of course, Lulu could make her appearance today. That would be great. It's a Friday, we are supposed to leave early for a Doctor's appointment anyway, we could just go to the hospital, have the baby, and have the weekend to ease into parenthood. But first, I've got to get Donna up.

"Sweetheart. It's really time to wake up now, unless you are taking the day off."

"Okay. I'm up."

"Your eyes aren't open."

"They're not?"

"Nope."

"Okay."

I wait a few seconds.

"Are you going to open them?"

She finally does, looking very disgruntled. Maybe she's ready to throw in the towel?

"Do you want to stay home today?"

"And do what? Count beads on my imaginary abacus?" I try to smother the laughter. She totally stole that line from me.

"We could have sex all day. I read that having sex increases the likelihood of labor starting."

"You'd take the day off too?"

"I'd be willing to make that sacrifice. You know, for the greater good."

She appears to contemplate the idea. But finally, she says, "Nah. I'd like to wrap up a few things in the office . We've got the appointment at 5. If Doctor Andrews says it's okay then we can try the sex all day thing tomorrow."

"Okay." I offer her a hand and help her out of bed. She's still slim but she's got a belly the size of a beach ball under her pajama top. It makes it hard to get up from a sitting position.

I'm not at all annoyed by the fact that Donna's moving slowly this morning. I'm just in awe and wonder of her. She's doing this absolutely incredible thing, and she's been doing it while in a high pressure job, and going back to school. I _was_ really relieved when she hired a deputy. Helen's got one of the smallest First Lady staffs in recent history. I admire her desire to not waste money, but she is going to need someone while Donna's on maternity leave, and having a deputy after Donna gets back to work might mean they can accomplish more, if Helen decides to use her office to try to push an agenda. And once they move back into the regular FLOTUS office space they'll have enough room for everyone.

Donna comes out of the bathroom looking as gorgeous as ever. I just can't help grinning as I see her.

"What? Do I have toothpaste on my face or something?"

"No, I'm just happy to see you."

"You saw me a half hour ago when I went into the bathroom."

"Yes, and I'm happy to see you again. God, I just love you so much."

"Yeah, I kinda like you too. Even though you're the reason I can't see my feet."

"Come on, I'll help you get dressed." I grab black pants, her favorite sage green blouse, and the black blazer she's been wearing. She can't button it any more but she looks adorably professional with her belly sticking out.

She unwraps her robe and takes my breath away. She's a goddess.

"Alright, already, quit staring and hand me my clothes, please." She quips at me. It's still good natured, but I know this can go down hill fast.

After she has the blouse on, she sits in the chair to slide on the pants, and I turn to grab her socks and shoes. I kneel before her and put them on quickly, biting back the Cinderella joke. It didn't go over well yesterday, and I have no reason to think it would work today.

Once she's all ready, I offer her a hand again, helping her out of the chair. I have a breakfast sandwich and coffee ready to go, and we should be on our way.

During Senior Staff everyone seems focused on Donna. Every time she twitches, everyone stops and stares at her in expectation, and she's had enough.

"Good grief, everyone! Stop staring at me like I'm going to explode any minute!"

"You know, only about 15% of women have their amniotic sacs rupture naturally. It's statistically unlikely to happen to Donna in the middle of Senior Staff, so let's get back to work shall we?" I look pointedly around the room.

Amy resumes her discussion of the lobbying reform legislation, and I look to Donna expecting a grateful smile, but I get a frosty glare instead. Uh oh. I guess I shouldn't have mentioned the possibility of her water breaking in public. She's paranoid that it might happen. Maybe I should go outside turn around three times and curse?

Staff meeting ends without further incident, and Donna seems to be back in a good mood as she's leaving, so I decide not to apologize. Sometimes when she's moved on from a little thing, it's really just better to leave it alone.

"I'll see you at 12:30. Let me know if you are craving anything in particular and I'll bring it with me." I place the customary kiss on her cheek and watch as she leaves the office, then take my spot next to the resolute desk.

"You got frostbite?" Matt asks me with a chuckle.

"You saw that, huh?"

"Oh yeah. It's pretty common at the end of pregnancy. Another surge of hormones, they're sick of being pregnant but don't want to complain, and there's probably a little bit of concern about what comes next, _and_ they haven't forgot, it's all your fault."

"I was reminded of that this morning, as a matter of fact."

"Well, hopefully the baby will be here soon. Believe me when I tell you that this ain't nothing compared to what it will be like if she goes past her due date."

"Yeah, I'm hoping that at today's doctor's appointment we can schedule an induction if the baby isn't here by next week. Maybe for Donna's birthday. It'd be cute if they had the same birthday."

"When's that?"

"Next Friday. The 9th."

"November is going to be a busy month for you two, isn't it? Lulu's birthday, Donna's birthday, your anniversary."

"Not to mention Elections! Thank goodness this is an off year. And it's a good thing Donna doesn't like to make a big deal out of her birthday."

"You'd still better get her something. And something from the baby too."

"I've already picked up a blue topaz bracelet and earrings. They match the necklace I got her for our wedding."

"But what about your anniversary, then?"

"There's a matching ring too."

All morning I fought the urge to call and check on Donna, but now it's noon, so I have a legitimate excuse. I need to know what she wants for lunch.

I buzz Margaret. Man, I miss bellowing, but it's not the same since it's not Donna's name. And now that I'm next to the Oval Office, it doesn't feel right to bellow anymore.

"Did Donna call with a lunch order?"

"No."

"Okay, thanks."

I hang up and dial Donna's direct number.

"Hey. What are you thinking for lunch?"

"I'm thinking I'm ready to blow this popsicle stand."

"What?"

"I'm just feeling restless. I've wrapped everything up here. I've handed everything off until after New Years. My Desk is clean. Helen already went back up to the Residence. I'm not sure what I'm going to do for the rest of the day."

"Are you hungry? How about lunch? Instead of the Mess, we could go out."

"Burrito Brothers?"

"Anything you want."

"Can we walk there?"

"Sure. I'll let Kevin know what the plan is, then I'll be up to get you in a few minutes."

As soon as I hang up, I walk out to Margaret's area.

"What does my schedule look like for the rest of the afternoon?"

"It's still pretty open. You have a meeting with the Undersecretary for Education at 2pm, and the normal daily wrap-up at 4."

"Okay, call Sam and have him step in here for a minute, would you?"

"Sure."

I turn back toward Kevin. "Change of plans. Donna wants to go to Burritos Brothers of Capitol Hill for lunch. She wants to walk. I'd like the SUV to accompany us."

"Yes, sir."

"Sam's on his way down."

"Okay, send him into my office when he gets here."

I head back into my office, then through the door to the President.

"Donna wants Burritos for lunch. We're going to walk over there. We might not come back."

"Ever?"

"You know what I mean. She's feeling restless, and it sounds like she's done for the day. I'm going to have Sam cover my 2pm meeting with the Undersecretary of Education. There's nothing for you to see there, just a little hand-holding. If there is an emergency Margaret will page me. That alright with you?"

"Yes, Josh, we've all known that sooner or later you were going to have to go MIA. Sam can handle it. We'll let you know if something major happens, but Lulu's birth IS the biggest thing in your life right now, and taking care of your wife is most important. We've got your back."

"Thank you, Sir."

Sam's waiting for me when I walk back through the door. I quickly fill him in and head up to Donna's office. It's been forever since I played hooky. This feels good.

As we make our way slowly toward the Capitol, hand in hand, Donna's smiling and breathing deeply.

"I love this weather. 60 degrees is perfect. Not too hot, not too cold."

"How are you feeling? Any contractions today?"

"Nope. I feel pretty good. It's nice to get out of the office."

"Well, we don't have to go back. I cleared my schedule for the day."

"Really?"

"Yep. I just want to spend the day with you. I mean, I can't wait until Lulu gets here, but we don't have that many days left of it being just the two of us."

"Thanks Babe! After lunch let's go to the Washington Monument."

"You don't want to take the stairs, do you?"

"No! I'm not quite that desperate to get labor going yet. I'd rather try the sex first."

"Me too."

As we pull up to the Brownstone at the end of the day, I can see that Donna is really tired. Not surprising, considering how much walking we did this afternoon. It was a perfect day, reminiscent of our early years, when we were young and carefree, visiting the monuments and talking politics and philosophy. Back then making the world better was important in concept, now it's important in reality. Our baby is part of the future.

Donna was grinning on her way in to the Doctor's office, but she looks a little down now. The report was good. Donna's in great shape. Lulu's in great shape. But absolutely nothing is happening to indicate that labor is on it's way. No contractions and her cervix is completely closed. Dr. Andrews finished the appointment with a "See you this time next week!" And Donna looked like she was going to cry.

"Isn't there any chance I could have her this week?" She'd asked.

Dr. Andrews was matter of fact in her response. "You never know. Could be tomorrow, could be a week. Remember the due date is just a guesstimate."

Donna left with her shoulders slumped. I'd really like to get her smiling again.

Once we're through the door, I use a cheery voice- "So what should we do tonight? Romantic comedy & take out or start the sex-a-thon a little early?"

Donna's eyes light up. "Who says we can't do it all? Let's fool around while we watch the movie and then eat when we're hungry."

"See that's why I love you so much. You are simply brilliant."

She grins at me and it seems the funk is gone. If we've got another week before Lulu gets here, we'll just make the most of it.

"I get to pick the movie!" She announces.

"Of course."

" _And_ the food."

"Nice. Taking advantage of the fact that you are hugely pregnant with my baby. That's what I call a cut throat political operative. I'm so proud."

She grins at my praise, thinking I'm teasing. I'm not. I really am so proud.

"Okay, do you know what you want to eat? It's Friday night, it could take a while for delivery. Maybe I should go ahead and order."

"Good idea. Um, Chinese. The usual."

"Okay. I'll call it in and let Phil know it's on the way. You pick out the movie."

When I get back to the living room, she's ready to go.

"What've we got?"

"The American President."

"Good choice." It's one of our old standbys. Even so, it's still funny enough that Donna laughs quite a bit. And we've seen it enough times that we don't miss anything when we make out during the boring parts. But by the time the movie is over, she's yawning. Our sex-a-thon is probably going to have to wait until tomorrow.

"You go get ready for bed. I'll put everything away."

"But it's barely 9pm!"

"But you're tired. Let's move to the bedroom. We can put another movie on in there if you want." I'm pretty sure if I get her vertical she'll be asleep in 10 minutes.

I'm putting my clothes in the hamper when she comes out of the bathroom.

"Well, that was weird."

"What?"

"It's kind of gross."

My spidey-senses kick in. "What?"

"When I wiped there was something sort of pinkish and blobby."

"Donna! I think that was your mucus plug."

"Does that mean I'm going into labor tonight?"

"Let me check the book. I think it said it can still take a few weeks after that."

"Oh." Donna sounds disappointed as she pulls back the covers and lays down, while I open the nightstand drawer to retrieve the book.

"OH! Shoot." She says getting up, scurrying towards the bathroom. "I think I just peed a little."

"You _just_ went." I can't help but laugh.

"JOSH!" Her voice sounds a little panicked, so I fly to the bathroom. She's standing there, looking down at her pajama bottoms which are soaking wet.

"My water just broke!"

"For real?"

"YES! For real."

Oh my god. We're having a baby. "Let's go." I put my hand on her back and steer her towards the front door.

" _JOSH_!"

"Yeah?"

"Let's change first."

I look down. I'm only wearing boxers. She's still in the wet pajamas.

"Right. Good idea."

A few minutes later I try again. "Okay, let's go." I urge her towards the door as she suddenly stops in the kitchen.

"I can't. I need to change my pants again."

While she's doing that, I grab a towel for the ride over. Once she has her shoes back on, I ask if she's all set. I _really_ want to get to the hospital. But she's looking around the room uncertainly.

"Do you have the bag?"

"It's next to the front door."

"Okay, then, let's go."

I grab the bag and open the front door. Phil looks startled.

"Operation Baby-on-the-Way. This is NOT a drill." He grins and relays the message into his wrist.


	56. Say Hello to Mom

Once we are in the car, Josh grins like a little boy. "This is exciting. We're having a baby."

I try to smile back. All day long I thought the thing I wanted most today was to meet my daughter but now I'm feeling kind of apprehensive. I have no idea what this is going to be like. I'd sort of like to do it without pain medication. I have a pretty high tolerance for pain but I don't really like it. I don't really like how out of it the morphine makes me feel either. Anyway, I guess there's no turning back now.

It only takes a few minutes to get to the hospital. I didn't realize that our SUV had lights and a siren. It is kind of cool. The hospital is expecting us when we arrive. Phil's announcement into his wrist really did trigger a secret service action plan that included notifying the hospital and dispatching additional agents.

We are escorted direct to a private room, where a clerk is waiting with my file.

"We just need you to sign a few forms, please. This one is to treat you. This authorizes us to give you pain medication."

"Um, I'm not sure. I wanted to try to do it without."

"What method are you using?"

"Lamaze, but we kind of dropped out of the class."

"Are you completely opposed to pain medication?"

"No, but I'd like to try to avoid it."

"Sign the form. They won't give you any without talking it over anyway. But they need it to do an epidural, and in case of a c-section."

"Okay"

"And this one authorizes us to treat the baby. You both need to sign that one."

Once we've both signed she stands up. "There is a gown there, go ahead and put it on. The nurse will be in shortly."

'Okay. Thanks."

Sure enough within seconds of me changing, someone is tapping on the door.

"Come in!"

The nurse comes in smiling. "Got a couple of night owls, huh? And VIP ones from the looks of the men standing outside the door."

"I'm Josh Lyman. This is my wife Donna. We work in the White House."

"It's nice to meet you. I'm Bridget. I'll be your nurse. So, what brings you in?"

Josh's mouth falls open and he gestures at my belly. Bridget laughs. She's obviously playing with us.

"I think my water broke."

"Are you having any contractions?"

"No."

"Are you still leaking fluid?"

"Yes."

"Okay, let's just check." Bridget walks over to the cabinet, opens a drawer and pulls out a thing strip of paper. "Okay slide down and put your feet in the stirrups."

I feel the paper touch me. She looks at it and smiles. "Yep. Your water broke. You're a keeper. Let's do an exam and see if you're dilated at all."

"She wasn't this afternoon at 5. We had a doctor's appointment then. Has someone paged Dr. Andrews?"

"We'll just check again. Maybe she's made some progress since then."

Josh looks away as Bridget does the exam. It makes him squeamish.

"Nope. Still closed up. Okay you can scoot back." She folds up the stirrups. " I'm going to call Dr. Andrews and see how she wants to proceed. Why don't you close your eyes and try to rest for a few minutes. I'll be back before you know it."

"Well, she doesn't seem fazed? Does she?"

"I think she's probably done this before."

"Well, it's good that one of us has." I let out a huge yawn. I _am_ really tired.

"Come on. Lay down. Even a few minutes rest is probably a good idea." Josh stands next to me and runs his fingers over my forehead, brushing the hair off to the side. Maybe I will close my eyes for a few minutes.

It doesn't feel like long before the nurse is back. "Okay. I spoke with Dr. Andrews and here's what we are going to do. We're going to start an IV and give you a drug called Pitocin to induce labor. We're going to hook you up to a machine and we're going to monitor the progress. Dr. Andrews will be in to check on you in an hour or two."

OoOoOoOoOoOoO

I open my eyes feeling kind of foggy. "Josh?"

"Hey. I'm right here." He sitting right next to the bed. " Are you really wake?" He looks more haggard than I've seen him in a long time.

"Yeah. Oooohhhhh." I let out a low moan. That was a really hard contraction. But it brings me back into focus. My water broke, I'm in the hospital. I'm still pregnant.

I look to Josh trying to piece together what is happening. He must see the confusion in my eyes.

"They gave you Pitocin to start the contractions. After a few hours a nurse offered you some Demoral just to take the edge off. You didn't react well to it at all."

"I remember throwing up."

"Yeah," He wipes the hair off my face. "You threw up a lot. And in between that you were pretty delirious. Rambling all sort of incoherent things."

He looks rather stricken. Oh my god I hope I didn't say something horrible to him. I've only been joking about this all being his fault.

"What did I say?"

"A lot of 'I'm sorry," "Please stop" and apparently you are very concerned about the Christmas Tree at Rockefeller Center being bigger than the Christmas Tree at the White House." He smiles a bit a the last one and I feel relieved.

"You also called my name a lot. And apparently, you really do love me." He chokes up a little and his eyes are filling with tears.

I grab his hand and squeeze. "Are you okay? Is there something you aren't telling me?"

"I've never seen anyone as sick or hurting as you were last night. And I couldn't do anything to stop it. And the nurses didn't really seem concerned at all. And then you were apologizing to me every time you vomited. I just . . . "

He's choked up again and the tears are rolling down his cheeks now. "I'm sorry. This is my fault. I did this to you."

"Josh . . . " Oooohhhh, it's another contraction and it really hurts. I squeeze his hand but clench my jaw determined not to release a moan while he's feeling so guilty. I pant through it and then it's over.

"Josh, you didn't do this to me. We did this together. We made a baby! And we are going to get to meet her soon. I _do_ love you. More than anything. Everything's going to be fine."

A nurse comes bustling in. I think her name is Bridget.

"Well, now. You are looking a lot better. Glad that nasty Demoral is out of your system now."

"Yeah, me too."

"Your husband though. He's a keeper. It was like you had a bulldog guarding you all night long."

I can't escape the peal of giggles. Does she know who he is or was that just a coincidence?

She looks at me quizzically. "Well maybe still a little of the narcotic left?" She checks the machine. "Dr. Andrews will be in on morning rounds in a few minutes."

Sure enough Dr. Andrews comes through the door less than a minute later.

"Hi Josh, Hi Donna. I hear you had a rough night. Let's just see if we made any progress."

Once again Josh keeps eye contact with me while Dr. Andrews does her thing. He can't see her face but I can. There's a quick frown that she immediately smooths over with her neutral professional face.

"What's wrong?" I ask anxiously.

"Oh nothing. I was just hoping for a little more progress. You're barely 1 cm dilated. We need you to get to 10 before we can deliver the baby. I'd really like to have the baby delivered within 12 hours of your water breaking."

"I thought the book said 24 hours?" Josh inquires.

"In my experience if we can't get labor to really get going within 12, it's not going to happen naturally. I don't see any reason to put Donna through 24 hours of trying especially after the night you just had."

"So what does that mean?" I'm still a little foggy.

"We're going to up the Pitocin and see if we can get some good hard contractions to open the cervix. If we don't see some measurable results in the next couple hours, we'll do a C-section."

She smiles at us. "I think you'll need a table for three for lunch." Then she flits out of the room.

Bridge walks over to the machine and turns the dial up a notch. "Okay. Here we go, folks. I'll go get you some ice chips."

"Did you call our parents last night?"

"Yeah. Do you want your Mom?"

"God, no!" I pause, then softly say "Maybe your Mom." He smiles softly at me.

"She's on her way. She was going to try to catch a red eye last night but I told her to wait until the morning. I hope that's okay. I didn't like the idea of her traveling all alone at night. There's a 6:54 direct flight to National. She'll be here in a few hours."

"Okay, good."

"Your Parents are going to book a flight this morning too."

Another wave of pain hits me and I close my eyes. I don't remember the pain being this sharp when I was recovering from Gaza. Of course, I had a morphine drip. I definitely don't want any more of whatever they gave me earlier. I try to think of something else but there's really nothing but pain and trying not to scream.

When I open my eyes again, Josh is standing there, completely pale. The nurse is there too, looking concerned.

"Do you remember your breathing, honey? It helps to try to breath through it. When the next contraction comes I want you," she gestures to Josh, "to sit next to her and hold her hand, and try breathing together."

"And you," she looks at me, "I want you to keep your eyes open and keep eye contact with him. He's going to help you through this, okay?"

She turns the machine up another notch. "I'm trying to get these to start coming a little closer together than every 10-15 minutes."

"I'll come back when the next one starts."

"Do you want some ice chips?"

I nod and he feeds me a few on a spoon. He looks really exhausted. "Did you sleep at all?" I ask, stroking his face.

"No. I'm fine, though. You know I can go along time. I got 7 hours on Thursday night."

He could, but he's not as young as he used to be. He needs to take care of himself too. I feel my stomach tightening and I tense up. Josh notices the change in my posture.

"Is one starting?"

"Yeah." I grit out through my teeth.

"Okay. Take deep breath." I take one and he takes one too. "Okay, let it out slowly"

I try, I really do, but it comes out as a low moan. I can't believe how freakin' much this hurts!

Bridget comes in toward the tail end of it and seems pleased that we are trying to breathe. Barely ten minutes go by and another one comes. They seem to be getting harder and lasting longer. After an hour like this, I'm shaking. Josh is shaking too. And every time I moan, Josh looks like he's in physical pain.

Bridget zips in to check if we are making any progress. She does the exam and looks at the clock. She seems to be contemplating something.

"Well?" Josh asks anxiously.

"How opposed are you to an epidural?" Bridget finally asks me.

"I don't really like the idea of them sticking a needle in my back. I read there can be some lasting side effects. But at this point, I don't care. I just want this baby out."

"Here's the thing. You're just over two centimeters dilated. You're exhausted. The epidural will block the pain. And then maybe your body will relax. That might do the trick. And if not, Dr. Andrews is going to come in and start talking to you about a C-section. If you have a C-section you're going to need an epidural to be awake for it. Otherwise they'll put you completely out."

'How quickly can she get the epidural?" Josh asks eagerly.

"I have to call Dr. Andrews and have her order it, then the anesthesiologist will be down as soon as possible. So probably about 30 minutes or so."

"That's like only 3 more contractions to get through, baby." Josh looks at me anxiously. I can tell he just wants me to not be in pain anymore. And I guess if there is a chance to avoid a C-section, I'd really like to take it.

"Okay. I'll take the epidural." Josh looks relieved.

Bridget smiles at me. "I think that's wise, dear."

Just as she leaves the room, another strong contraction hits, and I'm glad I made the decision. I don't know how much more of this I can take. Josh and I try to breathe but neither of us are very good at it. He looks very, very tired.

Right after the contraction ends, Dr. Andrews pokes her head in.

"I hear that you'd like an epidural." She says cheerfully. "Let's just check things out."

Josh looks quickly away. And Dr. Andrews grins at me.

"Okay, I'm going to be generous and call this a four. We don't normally do epidurals until you're at least a four because we worry about it slowing down labor. But in your case, I don't think that's really an issue. And we are quickly heading toward the twelve hour mark, so I'd like you to get the epidural anyway."

She stands up. Takes off her gloves and washes her hands.

"Knock, Knock" A man in a scrubs pushes back the curtain and rolls a cart in.

"Ah. Here's Dr. Nolan now." Dr. Andrews says by way of introduction. "He's about to be your favorite person."

Another contraction hits while he's setting up his stuff, and Dr. Andrews studies the little print out. Bridget comes in at the tail end. Josh and I muddle through the breathing. I'm kind of surprised no one tells us what to do.

When it's done Josh and I both notice Dr. Nolan's tray. It's got a very large needle on it. Josh's eyes get very wide and he gulps loudly. Little beads of perspiration break out on his forehead.

"Okay, Dad, time to step out." Dr. Nolan suggests.

'N-n-no. I'll stay." Josh stammers bravely. I know he hates this medical stuff.

"Actually, we need you leave the room." Bridget says kindly. When Josh looks like he's going to protest, she says "I'll be right here with her."

"It's okay, go ahead." I put on a brave face when really there's nothing more I want at this moment than for him to stay and hold my hand.

Once he leaves, Bridget sits me up even more. "Okay, Donna, what we're going to do is have you curve over this pillow and hold very, very still."

Bridget holds my hands and keeps eye contact with me and whispers encouraging things and with just a little prick of pain, it's over in a few minutes. She helps me get all settled in and then gives me an oxygen mask.

"You did great Donna. Now I want to you lay back and close your eyes and breath deeply and see if you can get a few minutes rest okay?"

Josh comes in the room and his eyes bug out at the sight of the mask.

"It's okay, Dad, nothing to worry about. It's just oxygen. Good for Donna and the baby. Now, I was just telling Donna to close her eyes for a few minutes, and I'm going to tell you to do the same." She points to the comfy chair in the corner, and Josh sits obediently.

"I'm going to turn this Pitocin up again, and hopefully it won't be long until we need you to push." Bridget turns out the light as she leaves.

As soon as she's gone, Josh gets up out of the chair and pushes the other chair back over to my side.

"Are you okay?" He asks softly, caressing my face.

I move the oxygen mask out of the way. "Yes. It wasn't that bad."

"Can you feel the contractions now?"

"No."

"That's good." He yawns. He has got to be so tired. I think we both need to shut our eyes for a bit.

"Let's try what Bridget said, okay?"

Josh intertwines his fingers through mine, then leans down and puts his head on the bed right next to my arm. "Okay."

I put the mask back over my mouth and nose and close my eyes. I feel so much better now.

About an hour later, Bridget wakes us when she comes back into the room.

"Sorry, dearie. We're at the twelve hour mark. I need to check you and see how things are going."

Josh keeps his head down but I can tell he's awake.

"Yes!" Bridget crows triumphantly. "This is what we like to see. You're a good nine and 3 quarters. Those doctors always want to wait until 4 centimeters for an epidural, but for some women the pain just shuts their body down. It's how they cope. Eliminate the pain and the body does exactly what it's supposed to do."

Josh sits up and grins at her. Then he leans over and gives me a kiss. "Good job, baby."

All I can do is smile at him. It still doesn't feel like I've done anything.

"Okay," Bridget announces, "were going to turn this bed into a delivery table now. Scoot your legs up for a minute." She flips a switch then she takes the bottom part of the bed away.

When she comes back she takes the heel of my right leg in her hand, keeping my leg bend and pushed back toward me.

"Okay, Josh, take Donna's other leg like this. Now Donna, let's give a little practice push, okay? You're going to take a deep breath, then as you let it out slowly you are going to bear down while I count to three. Ready?"

"Okay."

"Alright take the breath." I do. "Let it out and push, one, two, three. . . . okay. Stop. Oh yes, that was perfect. She's crowning. Look here, Josh, you can see the top of the baby's head."

For some inexplicable reason Josh actually looks. His eyes roll back in his head and he wobbles.

"WHOA!" Bridget exclaims jumping up and pushing Josh into the easy chair. "Head between your knees, deep breaths now."

"Donna, push your call button, please." I don't know how she's so calm. I've got a baby coming out of me and my husband is about to pass out!

"Yes, Mrs. Lyman?" A voice answers the call signal.

Bridget speaks up. "Bonnie, it's me. Can you bring some juice and cookies in here. We got a woozy Dad and a Mom about to deliver, and send Dr. Andrews in STAT."

After that everything happens really quickly. An aide hustles in with a package of cookies and a can of juice for Josh. Dr. Andrews and Bridget talk me through the pushing, Josh resumes his place next to me and holds my hand and keeps telling me I'm doing great.

Then before long, Dr. Andrews says "And here she is!" She asks Josh if he wants to cut the cord. He turns pale and quickly says no.

Then she puts Lulu on my chest for a minute. She's gooey, and squalling, and squishy, but she's mine!

Josh looks at her in amazement. Then another nurse takes her away.

"Hey! Where are you taking her?" Josh exclaims.

'Just getting her cleaned up and taking measurements. You can come over here and watch."

Josh looks to me for permission and I nod. Bridget helps me through the rest of the delivery process, and I get stiches because apparently something tore, and then, finally, it's over.

Suddenly, Josh is standing next to me again. I'm overwhelmed by the sight of him holding a little bundle wrapped in a striped blanket. He's looking down at her with pure bliss. I've truly never seen him happier.

Just like that all of my reservations about her name vanish. He can call her anything he wants. If he looks at her like that, she'll know without a doubt that she's loved.

"Hey. You look good with a baby."

"Oh my god, Donna. She's amazing. Ten fingers, Ten toes. A little button nose. She's got blue eyes! And look-" he pulls off her little hat, "brown fuzz!"

"So, what's her name?"

He looks up in surprise. "Really? You're letting me pick?"

I give him my brightest smile and nod. I'm pretty sure I know what he'll pick. And oddly, I'm okay with it. It feels right. Plus if she hates it when she's older, I'll just tell her it's her Dad's fault.

"Leonora" He whispers reverently. "Leonora Moss Lyman."

Oh! We hadn't talked about middle names. Neither of us had them. I just started using Moss as a middle name when we got married. Leonora Moss Lyman. I like that.

"Hey Lulu" he grins while he places her in my arms. "Say hello to your Mom."


	57. Post Hoc, Ergo Propter Hoc

The nurse helps Donna back into bed after her shower, and Donna immediately holds open her arms for Lulu. I place a kiss on her forehead and place her in her Mom's arms.

"You look amazing." I thought she looked incredible when she's all dressed up for a ball. Nothing compares to this, a nightgown, a freshly washed face, her hair up in a knot, and our baby in her arms.

"Excuse me," an aide enters the room, "there's a Mrs. Lyman out in the hall wondering if she can come in."

"Mom's here?" Donna looks up at me smiling, "go get her!"

I hate to leave Donna and Lulu but I pop out into the hallway. And see my Mom standing there with a small rolling suitcase, and her purse over her arm. I don't know how it's possible but I suddenly love her even more. Maybe it's the process of becoming a parent, the last 18 hours have changed me, and now I can appreciate my own Mom in a new way.

She opens her arms and I wrap mine around her small frame. "Ima, I'm so glad you're here." I give myself just a few seconds to absorb some of her strength, then pull back. "Come meet my daughter."

I lead her through the door and see Donna's face light up. "Mom! Come meet Leonora!"

It's the first time Donna's used Lulu's whole name. I like hearing how it sounds on her lips. Totally natural. It makes me feel better about choosing it. I was a little worried that I was being selfish picking my favorite. Donna must like it or she wouldn't let me choose. She probably just wants to be able to make me the bad guy if Lulu hates it when she's older. She's a smart one, my Donna.

Mom is leaning over the bed, placing gentle kisses on the baby's forehead, then doing the same to Donna. My heart feels like its going to explode. I might burst out crying.

"Would you like to hold her?" Donna asks my Mother in a soft voice.

"Yes, please." Mom hands me her purse then washes her hands and comes back for Lulu. Once she has her securely, she makes her way over to the easy chair and starts murmuring in Yiddish. She's been patiently waiting for this moment a long time. Donna and I both watch her with smiles, but then Donna yawns.

"Darling, you must be exhausted. Why don't you close your eyes for a little bit? I won't let anything happen to this angel."

"Okay, Mom. Thanks." Donna closes her eyes and her breathing quickly evens out.

Then Mom looks at me. "Joshua, did you bring a change of clothes with you?"

"Yes, Ma'am."

"Why don't you take a shower? You'll feel much better. I'll keep watch over your family."

"Thank you, Ima." I roll the bassinet over to the chair so it's close by in case she wants to put Lulu down. Although from the looks of her, I'd say that's highly unlikely to happen in the fifteen minutes it'll take me to shower and shave. Then I lean down and place a kiss on her cheek. And then a kiss on Lulu's forehead.

"Be good for Savta while I'm in the shower Lulu."

I get out of the shower feeling like a new man. A Dad. I get dressed quickly. I have some things to accomplish. When I come out of the bathroom, Donna is still sleeping and my Mom is still bonding with Lulu. It's an amazing sight.

I take a seat next to Mom and she looks up at me with tears in her eyes. "Thank you so much. I had almost given up hope of ever feeling this way again."

Tears come to my eyes too. "I'm sorry I waited so long."

"Oh, posh, the two of you got here. That's all that really matters." We both quickly blink back our tears. Neither of us is comfortable with gratuitous exhibitions of emotion.

"Are you good for a few more minutes? I need to step out in the hallway and make a couple of phone calls."

"Of course, Joshua. Take as long as you need. Little Miss Lulu and I are perfectly content."

I give each of my three ladies another kiss before I leave the room.

Out in the hall, I struggle for a minute deciding who to call first. In the end, I know it has to be the First Family. They know we came in last night, thanks to Operation Baby-on-the-way. In fact, they may even already know that Lulu has arrived, but I still want to call them myself.

The switchboard puts me through to the Residence, and it's picked up on the first ring.

"Hello. This is the White House, Miranda speaking."

Well. That is about the cutest thing ever. I hope her parents know she's answering the phone and that she has very good phone manners.

"Miranda, it's Tio Josh."

"Tio Josh! Is Lulu here? Mommy said you went to the hospital and the baby was coming, but it's been a long time."

"Yes Miranda, Baby Lulu was born this morning. Can I talk to your Mom or Dad?"

"Can I come see her?"

"I have to talk to your Mom or Dad first. It's up to them."

"Okay then. . . MOMMY TIO JOSH IS ON THE PHONE!"

Well, maybe she needs to work on her phone skills a little, because I'm pretty sure she didn't move the phone away from her mouth before she yelled directly into my ear.

"JOSH!" Helen sounds excited. "Is Lulu here? Is Donna okay? What are all the stats?

"Hello Helen. Yes, Leonora Moss Lyman arrived this morning at 10:42 a.m. She weighed 6 lbs 7 oz and is 20 and a half inches long. She got a 9 on the APGAR test. She and Donna are both doing excellent."

"Can I talk to Donna?"

"She's sleeping. It was a long, rough night."

"Can we come visit?"

"You'll need to talk to Ron about security, but we'll be here until tomorrow afternoon. Maybe this evening would be okay."

"Okay. Thanks for calling Josh, and Congratulations."

Sam and Ainsley are next. I hit 3 for Sam's cell.

"Hey buddy." He greets me.

"Hey Man. Where are you?"

"I'm in your office. Where are you?"

"I'm at the hospital. Didn't Margaret tell you that?" Margaret was a key component of Operation Baby-on-the-way.

"Yeah, she did. I'm just teasing. So do you have good news to share?"

"Is Ainsley there too? You could put me on speaker."

"Ainsley's not but let me get Margaret."

"Hey Josh."

"Hey Margaret."

"Okay, give us the details."

I fill them in, and I'm pleased with both of their delighted gasps at Lulu's name.

"I need a favor from both of you."

"Sure, boss." Margaret is quick to reply.

"Margaret, can you call the furniture store and have the items delivered today if possible. Sam can you be there to let them in and set up the nursery? I'm going to call Charlie and Toby next and see if they can help. I'd like it to be all ready when we get home tomorrow. There's a pile of shower gifts in Donna's office too."

"We're on it, Josh. No worries."

I'm not worried. With Margaret in charge, I'm sure the nursery will look perfect.

I call Charlie next.

"Hey Josh, what's up?"

"Is Zoey there too?"

"She's right next to me."

"Great. Put me on speaker."

"Hey Josh."

"Hey Aunt Zoey and Uncle Charlie!"

"Is the baby here?" Zoey squeals.

"Yes. Leonora. 10:42 this morning. 6lbs 7oz. 20 and a half inches long."

"OOOOHH Congratulations! Can we come see her?"

"Um, actually, can I ask a favor first?"

"Sure."

"In the Jewish tradition, we didn't set up the nursery. Margaret's arranging for the furniture to be delivered. Can you guys help set it up?"

"Of course! That'll be fun."

"Thanks, just call Sam or Margaret for the details. When you are done, let me know. Donna's recovering right now, but I think she'll be up for visitors later."

"Have you called my parents yet?"

"No. So don't spoil it for me, okay squirt?"

"Okay. I'll give you until midnight, then all bets are off."

"Okay." Toby's next on my list, then I need to find out if Donna's parents are on the way.

Toby is gruffly pleased both that Lulu arrived safely and that we followed tradition on the nursery. Unfortunately, the Twins have colds, so he thinks it's better if he doesn't help with the nursery and they hold off on visiting until everyone is healthy. I appreciate his thoughtfulness.

After that, I call both of Donna's parents' cell phones. They both go straight to voice mail so I am assuming they are probably in the air right now.

One more call for now, I've been away from Donna and Lulu long enough.

"Bartlet Residence."

"Abbey? This is Josh."

"Hello, Joshua."

"Lulu is here! She arrived this morning."

"Oh, Josh, Congratulations! How's Donna?"

"It was pretty rough, ma'am." I feel myself choking up a little and I clear my throat. "But she's fine. She's sleeping now and my Mom's holding the baby."

"Well, what's her name? What are her stats?"

I fill Abbey in and she reassures me that everything is okay. Then she says-

"Well Grandpa Jed and I are going to want to meet that little angel. We'd love to have you up to the farm for Thanksgiving. You can come with Zoey and Charlie. They don't want us to come down there because they think we don't know that they are living together."

"Ahh..." I'm not sure what to say. Normally I'd take Charlie and Zoey's side but now I'm a parent. I suddenly feel aligned with the Bartlets. I look to get out of the conversation without confirming or denying anything. "I'll check with Donna but Thanksgiving sounds nice."

"Okay. Remember Josh, you can call me any time. Give Donna my love."

"Yes, ma'am, I will."

Now that the calls are made, I head back into the room.

"Wash your hands." My Mother immediately instructs me. I was going to! I listened to the nurse.

As soon as I'm done drying them, Mom stands up. "Now sit down." I immediately obey and she transfers my daughter into my arms. It's an amazing feeling. I'll never get enough of this.

Mom sits in the chair next to me. "Now, Joshua. When did you last eat?"

"Ummmm. . . we had Chinese food around 7 yesterday."

"And when did you last sleep?" She gives me a knowing look, so I don't try to pull a fast one on her.

"I got up at 5am yesterday morning, and I slept an hour after Donna got her epidural."

"So you're well over 30 hours with virtually no sleep."

"Yes, ma'am."

"Okay. I'm going to take the baby back. You are going to lean back in that chair and close your eyes. Hopefully, you can get another hour of sleep before the Mosses get here. Please tell me that you called the Mosses."

"Yes, Ima. I called them right after I called you, and I tried again a few minutes ago, but I didn't get an answer."

"Okay then." She takes Lulu from me. "Close your eyes. When you wake up, I'll have something for you to eat."

I open my eyes to the sound of Jim Moss's booming voice. "My daughter's in there and I want to know what's going on!"

I stand up and stretch. Donna's waking up too. Her eyes are wide. I'd better hurry and get this resolved. I rush over to the door.

"Jim! Lottie! Come in." I turn to the agent. "It's okay, these are Donna's parents." Too bad it wasn't one of the agents that was with us at Easter.

Jim and Lottie Moss enter the room excitedly. They've each got a small rolling suitcase too. It occurs to me that I probably need to make some hotel reservations. I wonder if I can have Margaret do that?

"Donna!" Lottie cries out rushing over to her. Thank Goodness, my Mom was wise enough to give Donna the baby before her mother walked in. That could have been awkward.

"Hi Mom, Hi Daddy. Come meet Leonora."

"Oh baby, she's beautiful."

"Congratulations, Josh!" Jim reaches out to shake my hand.

"Thank you, sir. I tried to call but you must have been in the air already."

"We called when we landed but no one answered." I look at my phone.

"I'm sorry. I didn't realize that our phones were on silent. We've just been napping a little. It was a long night."

Lottie is sitting in a chair next to Donna holding the baby. Ewww. I don't think she washed her hands. Can I make her give the baby back and do it now?

Out of the corner of my eye I see Donna shift and grimace. "Are you okay?" She nods a little but she doesn't look like she's okay.

"Really, what's the matter?" I'll kick everyone out of this room if she wants me to.

"I have to go to the bathroom."

"Come on, I'll help you up."

"Hey Jim, can you do me favor? Can you wash your hands before you hold the baby? Thanks!"

I slip into the bathroom with Donna before he can say anything.

"Wow, honey, that was pretty brave." Donna giggles. Until she tries to go to the bathroom, then she cries. "Ohmygod, this hurts."

"Should I get the nurse?"

"No, she told me what to do. I'm suppose to use that little squirt bottle instead of wiping. Can you fill it with warm water? And then there are some witch hazel pads that I'm supposed to put over the stitches that will help."

I fill the water bottle and give it to her. Then hand her the witch hazel pads when she's ready.

"My God, the things you women have to endure. You are amazing creatures. I'm so sorry you're suffering, but our baby, she's amazing Donna. She's so amazing."

Once Donna is done, we both wash our hands and she shuffles back to the bed, obviously still in pain. I need to find a nurse and ask her to bring some pain medication. I think we also need to get some food.

"Josh, can you get the camera? I think we need to get some family pictures."

We spend the next fifteen minutes getting every combination of photo. And then, finally, Donna is satisfied.

Donna's Mom asks how the birth went and Donna gives her a sanitized version. I don't know if Donna even realizes how bad it was between 1am and 7am. Leonora may be an only child. I don't think I can put Donna through that again.

"Donna, did they bring you a lunch tray?"

"No, they asked but I wasn't hungry."

"Are you hungry now?"

"Yeah."

"Jim, Lottie, Mom, did any of you get lunch?"

"We ate in the airport before our flight took off." Lottie announces.

I'm pretty sure my Mom didn't though. She was here before lunch time.

I'm trying to think about how to make this work, when Margaret walks in with two big bags.

"Margaret! What are you doing here?"

"Your Mom called me and asked me to bring sandwiches from Wisemiller's"

"Joshua, I told you I'd have food for you when you woke up, didn't I?"

"Yes, Ima. . . . Thank you, Margaret."

"No problem, Boss. Can I meet the baby?"

"Yes of course, wash your hands first."

Lottie reluctantly gives Lulu to Margaret, who immediately coos "aren't you the most precious thing? Yes, you are princess, and Auntie Margaret is going to spoil you. I'm going to keep all sort of yummy things for you at my desk so anytime you visit, you can come to me for a snack."

Margaret is handling Lulu like a pro, and once again I wonder about her daughter. There is one lone picture of her tacked to Margaret's bulletin board, half hidden by some papers. And she never, ever mentions her. I don't know her name. In fact, I don't really even know if she's a girl. I'm just making an assumption based on a pink outfit.

While Margaret's got the baby, I start handing out food.

"Oh, this is so good!" Donna exclaims after her first bite of Corned Beef. "Thanks, Mom and Thanks, Margaret."

"Oh and Josh, take Margaret's picture with Lulu."

I hand the bag of food to my Mom, and get out the camera.

"Jim, Lottie, there's plenty here and these really are the greatest Corned Beef sandwiches ever." My Jewish Mother isn't going to be happy until she feeds Donna's parents. I would think her Italian Mother should understand that.

"Okay, thank you." Lottie finally agrees. "We'll just split a half."

After she gets her picture taken, Margaret says "I've got to get going. I've still got the thing to finish."

"Okay, thanks Margaret."

"I'll take the baby!" Lottie offers rushing to the sink to wash her hands.

When Margaret does the hand off and leaves, I follow her out.

"The furniture is going to be delivered tomorrow morning. We've almost got everything else done."

"Thanks Margaret, this is above and beyond."

"Hey, that's what friends are for." She smiles oddly and nods her head once. Then scurries away.

As I head back into the room, I survey the scene. Jim is standing behind Lottie, who still has the baby. Mom looks tired. Donna looks like she's still in pain.

It seems rude to kick them out. But Donna's health is the most important thing.

All of our parents are retired. They don't have anything urgent to get back home to. If they are staying in town a week, they don't need to stay in this room with us all day. I think it's time to find out what everyone's plans are.

"Mom, did you book a hotel?"

"No dear, I just got the flight and came straight here."

"How about you?" I ask Jim.

"We booked a room at the same place Lottie stayed last time. What was that called?"

"Georgetown Suites, dear."

"Are you staying all week?"

"We have a Friday afternoon flight home."

"Okay, that's good. . . Mom do you want me to book you a room there? We don't have the extra bed anymore, just the pull out sofa. But I'm not going home tonight, so you can have our bed tonight if you want it."

"If it's okay with Donna, I'll go back to your place tonight."

"Yes, of course, Mom, that's fine with me." Donna answers with a loud yawn.

"You're tired, dear." Mom gets up and gives Donna a kiss on the forehead. "Maybe you should take another nap. I think I'll head to your place and do the same. I'll call you later and see if you'd like me to come back here tonight." She walks over to Lottie and gives Lulu a kiss on the forehead, then gives me a kiss on the cheek.

"Thanks for everything, Mom. I'll talk to you later."

Shortly after Mom leaves, a nurse comes in with Tylenol for Donna. "I think it would be a good idea to have visitors clear out for a little while. Mama and baby could use some rest. Looks like Daddy could too."

"Oh." Lottie says. "I guess we could go check in at the hotel."

"That's a good idea." I respond. "Why don't you give us a few hours and then check back. My phone's not on silent anymore."

"Okay, that's fine, Josh. Just call us if you need us. We'll see you later tonight. Or tomorrow."

Lottie walks over to Donna and gives Lulu back. "She's a beautiful baby. Congratulations."

"Thanks, Mom. See you later, Dad."

"See you later, pumpkin."

"Just the three of us at last!" Donna says softly, smiling at me. Then she lowers her gown and puts Lulu to her breast. I'm mesmerized. Lulu opens her eyes and moves her mouth for a few seconds, but then falls back asleep.

Donna sighs a little and pulls her gown back up. "The nurse said to try every once in a while, but it's pretty common for babies to be sleepy and not really hungry the first day."

Donna yawns again.

"The Mommies too?" I tease gently. Then I kiss her forehead. "It's okay. Close your eyes, get some more rest."

"Okay."

I take Lulu from her, and Donna closes her eyes. It doesn't take long for her to fall back asleep. I know I probably could fall asleep too, if I tried but, I'm pretty content holding my baby. I walk over to the light switch and shut it off, then I open the door, while still cradling Lulu in one arm.

"We need at least an hour with no visitors. Obviously let medical staff in the room." The agent nods solemnly. I hope the President doesn't drop by without calling first.

Finally, I make my way over to the window and stand looking out over the University. In the quiet, I hear my Dad's voice somewhere in my mind. I know he's not really here with me, but I swear, I can feel his presence.

 _So son, I guess you finally grew up?_ I look down at the baby girl in my arms, smile and whisper back, "of course, I just needed one good reason."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There you go. The end of my biggest story to date. I hope you enjoyed it. I would definitely enjoy hearing from you. I do plan to continue this series. I have half of the next story written and expect to start posting chapters here in about a week or so.


End file.
